Snow shoveling stretches

December 3rd, 2008 at 06:44pm Mike DeDoncker

It looks like we’re back into last winter’s pattern of snow every couple of days, which means we’re going to be getting extra lifting workouts with the old snow shovel.

The usual advice when shoveling is to not lift big, heavy loads of snow at one time and to make sure when you are lifting that you bend at the knees and not from your lower back. Still, it’s pretty hard to avoid stiffness in the lower back after the first round of shoveling, so here are a couple of exercises to help loosen things up again:

The first is a long-time favorite of mine and I remember, when I first read about it way back when, that a doctor quoted in the article said something to the effect that if everyone did this exercise for one minute a day, he would lose half of his lower back pain patients.

Start the exercise by lying face up with the right leg straight while holding the left toward your chest with one hand on top of the knee and the other under the hamstring. Pull the left leg gently until you feel a slight stretch in the hamstring. Then place your left hand on the floor at shoulder height and, keeping both shoulders on the floor as much as possible, use your right hand to gently pull the left knee to the right. Look back at your left hand while you do this. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, release and return to starting position. Repeat with the left leg straight and switch direction to pull the right leg to the left while you look back at your right hand.

The second exercise is simply called a “pretzel” and I like it because you are using one set of your own muscles to stretch another set. It’s mostly a stretch for the iliotibial band on the side of the upper leg, but I always include it when my back is feeling a bit sore.

Again, start by lying on your back. Place one foot flat on the floor and cross the ankle of the other leg over the knee. Pull both legs gently toward your chest by lifting the foot off the floor.

Try not to overdo the shoveling and think spring.

Entry Filed under: healthyrockford.com