What to know
- Toronto residents Guy and David recommend using a smaller shovel to clear snow and to avoid lifting snow as much as possible.
- Physican Iris Gorfinkel advises shoveling in sections, taking frequent breaks and to warm up beforehand.
The shoveling of snow after a big winter storm can be a daunting task, especially after the one Torontonians just witnessed over the weekend.
The city became blanketed with nearly 60 centimeters of snow, with Sunday being the snowiest day on record since Jan. 23, 1966. Total snowfall in January reached 88.2 centimeters, making it the snowiest January since Environment Canada records began in 1937.
With days worth of snow clearing ahead, Toronto residents who are seasoned at shoveling snow offer a variety of helpful tips so you don’t show up at urgent care with a lower back injury.
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Upper Beaches homeowner Terry offers a necessary reminder to “lift with your legs.” He also recommends buying a shovel with a metal edge that can scrape every last bit of snow off the sidewalk.
Terry’s brother, Guy, advises using a smaller shovel to avoid lifting more snow than you can handle. He also suggests using a shovel to remove as much snow from the bottom and sides of a snowed-in car before attempting to free the vehicle.
David, who also lives in the area, says it’s better to avoid lifting snow at all. He recommends shoveling diagonally.
“Get a decent shovel and I always find that going diagonally [works better] —- so you’re more pushing the snow out of the way instead of trying to lift it all. Don’t try to lift meters worth of snow, it’s madness,” he says.
Advice from a doctor
Dr. Iris Gorfinkel, a physician at PrimeHealth Family Practice in Toronto, says people often underestimate the amount of stress shoveling snow exerts on the body, particularly for older adults. She says the stress stems from “the combination of cold and the big workout [from shoveling snow].”
Gorfinkel advises dressing warm and warming up beforehand.
“Dress in warm layers and warm up beforehand. You can march on the spot, do gentle squats and roll the shoulders —- all of this helps.”
Although picking what type of shovel to buy is a personal preference, Gorfinkel says the right equipment makes a big difference.
“Choose a lighter, ergonomic shovel with a curved handle,” she advises.
Like David, she says it’s best to push snow along, as opposed to trying to lift it, as “lifting takes a lot more energy and it’s really easy to strain your back doing that.”
“I see tons of back sprains after snowfalls because people are lifting that snow, and that’s a fulcrum effect on the back. It’s easy to slip a disc, which can actually put a person out for weeks,” she warns.
“It’s really important to try to break the job into sections, take frequent breaks, and then stop if you’re feeling any shortness of breath, sprains or feeling super cold.”
