Shovel safely: How to dig out after wet, heavy snow hits Winnipeg

Winnipeg has been hit with about 15 cm of snow for Monday morning and as much as 30 cm in the Woodlands area, which means the shovels are coming out once again.

With the snow being wet and heavy, it is more difficult to move than drier snow. Experts recommend being aware of how your body moves as it shovels the snow.

“The number one thing that people do is they’re going to throw their back out or hurt their back in some way, but they’re also straining their shoulders, their arms and their wrists and sometimes they slip and fall,” Spectrum Health Centre Chiropractor Gordon Partridge said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The number one thing that people do is they're going to throw their back out or hurt their back in some way, but they're also straining their shoulders, their arms and their wrists and sometimes they slip and fall," Spectrum Health Centre Chiropractor Gordon Partridge said.

On Monday morning, Partridge had already seen multiple patients with snow-related injuries.

“If you remember that shoveling snow is going to be like working out so what would you do? You’d put on the proper equipment make sure your shoes are good, make sure you have layered clothing and water and warm up for a few minutes because you’re going to be exerting yourself,” he said.

The Canadian Chiropractic Association has a list of ways you can save your back when you shovel:

• Stand with stability and keep your feet at hip-width apart.
• Keep the weight close to your body and hold the shovel close while only shoveling smaller amounts of snow.
• Space your hands apart on the handle to increase your leverage when lifting the snow.
• Lift with your legs and tighten your stomach
• Don’t twist your body when you lift, instead turn your body.

It isn’t just your form you should worry about.

INCREASE HEART ATTACK RISK

After heavy snowfalls, like the one Winnipeg just experienced, doctors notice an increase in heart attack incidents.

Dr. Alecs Chochinov, Medical Director of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Emergency Program, said people need to be careful before exerting themselves shovelling.

“In conditions like this, people who are normally not active will go out and do too much,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "In conditions like this, people who are normally not active will go out and do too much," he said.

“The main risk people know about is heart attacks and strokes, that tends to happen in middle age and older people but probably the more common risk for healthy people is to go out and shovel the wrong way and strain a back.”

The WRHA has some tips to keep in mind when you are shoveling snow.

• If you aren’t very active it’s best to talk to your doctor before you shovel.
• Shovel slowly to avoid putting a sudden strain on your body.
• Take regular breaks and pace yourself.
• Use the right size shovel for your needs — A smaller shovel will fill with less snow and put less strain on your body.

Heart attack signs include pain, shortness of breath, nausea and sweating.