HEALTHY LIVING NEWSLETTER
STAY PAIN-FREE DURING THE WINTER MONTHS CALL 732.627.2797 & COME BACK TO PHYSICAL THERAPY TODAY!
SHOVELING: Let’s focus on shoveling. Much like any physical demand, it’ll help if you warm up beforehand. Stretching your arms, legs, and back will help loosen up your muscles before you begin and decrease your risk of sustaining an unnecessary injury. The posture you have while you’re shoveling is crucial to avoiding pain. It is important to keep your body straight, with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Make sure your knees are bent and your back is straight, with your dominant leg slightly in front. When shoveling, shift your weight from your back leg to your front. Maintain a straight body the entire time if possible, without twisting your hips or back. Here’s the most important part – ALWAYS lift with your legs instead of your back! Engage your core muscles in order to lift the snow with the weight of your legs, rather than your back. Lifting with your back is one of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to lift anything of substantial weight. Your legs are stronger and can take on more weight, limiting the pain you’ll feel in them – if you lift with your back, you may feel sore or tight afterward, and you may even injure yourself.
The winter season is still upon us, and it looks as if it’ll be sticking around for quite some time. With all the snow shoveling, icy streets, and chilled weather still affecting us, the possibility of experiencing winter-related pain is still at large. All that shoveling can take a toll on your back and joints, the ice increases the possibility of slipping, and the frigid air can create aches and pains all on its own. Fortunately, our physical therapy treatments at Cornerstone Physical Therapy can help correct the pain you may be feeling. If you’ve been experiencing discomfort due to winter-related activities, contact our office today! STAYING POSTURE PERFECT IN THE WINTER: You may be wondering, “How can I find relief? – I need to shovel and I need to go outside, taking the risk of slipping…” This is a valid point. We can’t stay curled up in bed all winter, safe from the snow and ice (although we may all wish we could!) One of the most important things you can do to prevent your risk of pain or injury is maintaining proper posture. This is especially true when doing physically demanding activities, such as shoveling mountains of snow off the driveway or scraping persistent ice off the windshield.
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