How (not) to shovel your way out of a late-winter Manitoba snowstorm

A late-winter snowstorm comes with itsheadaches, but it also comes with muscle aches and back injuries for many who try to shovel their way out of the white stuff without heeding the advice of experts.

Winnipeg was hit with at least 20 centimetres of snow so thick it felt like mashed potatoes, while other parts of southern Manitoba got more than 30 cm on Sunday night and Monday.

Gord Fogg with the Reh-Fit Centre said the latest dump of wet and heavy snow poses serious health risks to people out shovelling, which is one reason why he referred to it asheart-attack snow.

When snow is as wet as it was during the recent storm, Fogg says it becomes far more difficult to move with a shovel and can take a toll on the body.

"Ask yourself, 'Is it safe in the first place or is it really a better idea to call somebody to help?" he said.

If you are physically able, then Fogg says it's important to warm up and take your time.

Watch Fogg'sshovelling tutorial:

Heart attack snow how to shovel the white stuff safely

7 years ago

Duration 1:54

This heavy snow is more than just a pain to drivers. It poses a real health risk. CBC's Austin Grabish talked to Gord Fogg with the Reh-Fit Centre earlier today to find out about the dangers of the so-called heart-attack snow.

"Lift slowly and carefully. If you canpush, even better. But avoid [throwing] huge heavy bouts of snow," he said.

Proper warm up

Apart from the risks shovelling poses to the heart, there are a number of ways people overdo it and hurt muscles.

"I'm sure there's going to be some people out there with some aches and pains," said Winnipeg physiotherapist Mandy Connell. "Be smart about how you're doing it, save yourself."

Common shovelling errors include twisting, lifting with your back or not bending your legs badhabits that can be broken by first warming up with some light, dynamic movements, she said.

"Things like arm swings, or torso twists or squats or leg swings," said Connell, who pointed readers to the River Heights Physiotherapy website page on snow shovelling warm up exercises for more details.

The right shovel

Another way to ensure safe is to have a shovel that is the right length for your body.

"A longer shovel decreases the strain on the back because you're not required to bend as far, but a shorter shovel can make you more efficient, so you need to find something that's the right length for you."

To find the right shovel for you, Connell suggests heading down to your local home and garden store, grabbing one off the shelf and standing it next to you. With the blade of the shovel on the ground, the handle should be at about chest height, she said.

Shovels with a bent shaft may reduce the chance of injury, she says, as the ergonomic curve is meant to keep you from bending too much and decrease strain on the back.

Adapters are also handy and can be clipped on to some shovels that, again, are designed to reduce back-bending, she said.

Get grippy footwear

And then there's footwear. If you don't already have winter or hiking boots that fit well and have a good tread, get some.

Failing that, Connell suggests buying "grippers" spike or coil attachments that fit on most boots and shoes that dig into slippery surfaces.

"They're amazing and they really, really make you a lot more sturdy and they're slip-proof," she said.

Bend at the knee, not at the back

As for the act of shovelling, rather than trying to heave a shovel full of heavy snow overhead and across your yard, Connell and Fogg sayto keep the loads light, keep the shovel close to your body and try to push rather than toss snow as much as possible.

If you have to toss, Connell says to first bend your hips and knees, keep your back straight, tummy tightened and use your leg muscles to do the lifting.

Snow from the latest dump in Manitoba was also wetter and heavier than usual, so Connell says it's worth considering shovelling less snow on a load-by-load basis.

Downed tree?

Much of the advice on how to lift and shovel snow also applies to homeowners who want to clean up small woody debris left on their lawns and driveways from tree branches that broke under the weight of all the snow.

Martha Barwinsky, the lead arborist with the city of Winnipeg's forestry branch, said the city received about 60 calls by Monday afternoon about trees or branches that fell down in the storm.

"We were busy throughout the day," she told host Ismaila Alfa on CBC Radio's Up To Speed, adding crews expected be picking up broken trees into the evening Monday.

Homeowners with cedars and evergreens are going to want to do a quick scan of their yards as those trees tend to lose branches under the weight of such heavy snow, she said.

Homeowners can hire professional arborists if they ended up with big branches or trees downed on their property, but Barwinsky says it's better to just leave smaller woody debris where it is until the snow melts if it's not getting in the way.

Whole trees or large tree limbs on public property can be reported to the city's 311 department.

'We get stuff done': Winnipeggers to the rescue as the city digs out

7 years ago

Duration 1:47

CBC plowed through city streets to find out how Winnipeggers and their vehicles were faring, and found plenty of people helping others.