Shoveling Mechanics

Winter. Some of us love it some of us hate it; but in a place like Bozeman it’s unavoidable. I think we can all agree that the shoveling that comes with the fluffy white stuff can be a pain. So since winter is upon us, here are some tips to keep in mind to help protect yourself from getting injured. The two most common shoveling related injuries are low-back strains and tennis elbow. 


Shoveling Snow.jpg

How to prevent injuries:

Lift with your knees. We hear this all the time, but what does it actually mean and why is it important? When you shovel you should think about getting yourself in a low squat position. First of all this will help protect your lower-back by allowing you to use the strength of your legs and not just your back. As you got to lift the snow using your legs to push yourself up instead of using your back to pull yourself up. Then as you go to toss the snow again use your whole body to help generate force instead of just your shoulders. Think about going from a squat and then extending through your legs to help propel the snow. It can also help to pick up smaller scoops of snow so it is lighter and as a result should be easier on your forearms.

Here are a few stretches to do after you shovel.

  1. Shoveling involves a lot of bending forward so do this stretch right after you finish your driveway.


Prone Press Up; Lay on your stomach with your hands right under your shoulder. Relax your lower back and hips and gently press yourself up putting a small arch in your back. Only go up as high as is comfortable.

Prone Press Up; Lay on your stomach with your hands right under your shoulder. Relax your lower back and hips and gently press yourself up putting a small arch in your back. Only go up as high as is comfortable.

2. After gripping the shovel for so long your forearms can get very sore, this stretch will help combat that.


Forearm flexion stretch: Straighten your arm out in front of you, keep your elbow straight and with your other hand gently bend your wrist and fingers until a gentle stretch is felt.

Forearm flexion stretch: Straighten your arm out in front of you, keep your elbow straight and with your other hand gently bend your wrist and fingers until a gentle stretch is felt.

-Kate Dolan, DPT

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Breathing and Your Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is certainly a hot topic of conversation for many men and women. Specifically, people begin to focus on their pelvic floor when they are having incontinence, urgency/frequency, prolapse, or pain associated with going to the bathroom or having sex. These are all issues related to pelvic floor dysfunction. But, what many don’t realize, is that your pelvic floor is also integral in one of our most basic functions: breath.

The diaphragm, our respiratory muscle, is located at the bottom of the ribcage. At rest, the diaphragm is a domelike shape, and with inhalation the diaphragm muscle contracts and drops downward toward your pelvis. This downward motion is followed by a shifting downward of internal organs, into the pelvic bowl. The pelvic floor muscles and fascia make up the bottom of the pelvic bowl. So, with this downward force during inhalation, the pelvic floor muscles also descend or stretch slightly downward. Immediately following inhalation and pelvic floor descent, is exhalation, and similarly, the pelvic floor follows the diaphragm as it rises upward to a resting position. This synchronous rising and falling of the diaphragm and pelvic floor is often referred to as the “piston effect”.

Not to be left out, the lower abdominal muscles (transverse abdominis) also contribute to this synchronous movement pattern. Working together by relaxing and stretching with inhalation and a “belly breath”, and tightening and drawing inward slightly with exhalation. In this way, the diaphragm, abdominals, and pelvic floor make up an abdominal cylinder that modulates intra-abdominal forces and pressure changes.

When this cylinder isn’t coordinating well together, or if there is tightness or weakness within the system, we see common musculoskeletal complaints: low back pain, SIJ pain, poor stability through the back and pelvis, hip pain, pelvic pain, incontinence, urgency/frequency of urine or stool, prolapse, poor posture, balance issues, and intolerance to exercise.

Our pelvic floor physical therapists can help evaluate these movement patterns and coordination of these systems, and create a treatment approach specific to you and your individual challenges.