Train for Snow Shoveling Season

Every year, snow shoveling season comes. Sometimes it comes late, sometimes it comes early. Are you ready?

In addition to buying supplies and reorganizing the garage to put lawn care equipment in the back and shovels in the front, I want you to get your body ready for the season. Every year, many people go from being sedentary right out to lifting loads of wet snow and they get injured or suffer a heart attack. But even if you have been active this summer and fall, the activities you have been doing may not have prepared you for the specifics of snow shoveling.

Let’s take a look at the muscles and movements used for shoveling snow and begin to get in shape for the season.

Health Concerns

The exercises covered here are designed to be more challenging that what you are currently doing so that you body will adapt and be prepared to shovel snow. Start where you are and progress slowly and steadily.

If you are healthy and plan to make only gradual increases to your activity level, you do not need to consult a health care professional before you begin. However, if you have one or more chronic conditions or plan to make a big change, please see your doctor first. When you do, be clear about your plans and ask both “Are there any movement patterns or heart rate ranges that I should avoid? Why?” and “Are there any movement patterns or heart rate ranges that you recommend? Why?”

Exercises to Train for Snow Shoveling

Snow shoveling requires strong legs, strong core, and strong back. To prepare for snow shoveling season, be sure you have these exercises like the ones listed here in your workout program.

Allow one or two days between workouts to allow your body to recover and adapt. Every second or third time you do the workout, add a repetition or increase the weight.

Squats

You’ve heard the expression “Lift with your legs, not with your back.” Squats are how you strengthen your legs so they can do the job and you aren’t tempted to use bad form.

Depending on your current strength and experience you may chose to do your squats with chair. A chair squat (also called a box squat if you use a box instead of a chair) may give you the confidence to lift a heavier weight (important when training for snow shoveling); however, it does limit the potential range of motion (not as important for snow shoveling).

Here is one way to do a squat: Begin standing with your feet below your hips or slightly wider. Hold a single dumbbell against your chest or one dumbbell in each hand, suitcase-style. Stand tall with your shoulders back. Send your butt back and down as though you were (or actually are) sitting onto a chair behind you, keeping your chest proud. Then, straighten your legs and return to standing.

Repeat for as long as you can maintain good form. Rest one minute and repeat that number of squats.

Hip Hinge

When shoveling, don’t bend your back, hinge at your hips. Conventional deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, and good mornings all train this pattern.

Here is how to do a good morning: Begin standing with your feet below your hips or slightly wider. Hold a single dumbbell against your chest. Send your butt back while you keep your spine long. Maintain a slight bend in your knees. Use your glutes and hamstrings to straighten up again.

Repeat for as long as you can maintain good form, up to twelve or fifteen. Rest one minute and repeat the same number.

Row

Even though we have established that you aren’t going to lift with your back, you need a strong back to be able to lift your arms and to control the load. Suspension strap row, hinged-over row, and rowing machine are examples of rows you can do.

Here is how to do a one-arm hinged-over row: Begin standing with your feet below your hips or slightly wider. Hold a dumbbell in one hand. Hinge forward at your hips and rest your non-dumbbell hand on a chair or your thigh. Let the dumbbell dangle straight down. Pull your elbow up and back. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top. Slowly lower the weight to the starting position.

Repeat for as many times as you can maintain good form, up to twelve or fifteen. Repeat the same number of times with the other arm. Stand and roll your shoulders for a moment. Then repeat both sides.

Pallof Press

You need your whole core ready to stabilize the load any time you lift a shovel full of snow. The Pallof press builds this type of strength.

To do the Pallof press, you will need a resistance band and a door anchor. Attach the anchor at chest height. Begin standing perpendicular to the anchor point with your feet wider than your hips and a slight bend in your knees. Hold the handle or end of the band against your chest. Side step away from the anchor until there is significant tension on the band. Press your hands out straight in front of you, resisting the pull to the side.

Repeat for as long as you can maintain good form, up to twelve or fifteen. Repeat the same number on the other side. Stand and shake out any tension. Recover for a minute. Then repeat both sides.

Carrys

It’s best to throw the snow forward rather than twisting. To accomplish this, you may need to carry loads of snow from where it is to where you want it to be. The way to prepare to carry heavy loads is to carry slightly less heavy loads.

Here some ways to do it: Grab two heavy dumbbells, hold them suitcase-style, and walk up and down your hallway. Hug a heavy object (such as a large bag of dog food) to your chest and walk. Take your snow shovel, put some weight (such as a backpack full of clothes) on the scoop; then hold the handle at hip height and walk around.

I recommend you choose at least one carry that has the weight heavier on one side of your body and repeat with that weight on the other side.

Cardio

Shoveling snow isn’t just about strength. You need adequate cardiorespiratory fitness as well. Choose your favorite activities and strive for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity throughout the week. (Alternately, you can do 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or do an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity.)

Note: I offer a Snow Shoveling Custom Program. It’s a six-week training program tailored to you. It includes an initial consultation, one personal training session, and twelve printed workouts. For more information, check my Services page or contact me.

Note: If you are healthy and make only gradual increases to your activity level, you do not need to consult a health care professional before you begin. However, if you have one or more chronic conditions or plan to make a big change, see your doctor first. Always work within your ability. With any activity/exercise program, if you feel faint or dizzy or experience pain or loss of balance, you should stop immediately.