Who knew that in the first week of March we would have to think about being safe in the snow?!! Here are some quick tips to keep in mind to ensure you minimize your chance of an injury .

When shoveling snow pick a shovel that has a curved handle if you will be shoveling a large area.  Also look for a shovel with a second handle for areas with lots of snowfall.  When shoveling pick up small loads of snow; there is no need to carrying a 25 lb shovelful across the driveway.  Also walk to the grass and dump your shovelful instead of throwing the snow to minimize back injuries. During a storm shovel every few hours instead of shoveling inches of snow after the storm passes.

After shoveling the snow put salt on the driveway to increase the time between shoveling. When salting your walk and driveway use a shaker that you can fill with 1-2 lb of salt no need to carry the 25 lb bag of salt.  Also, stand up straight and let gravity do the work.

When walking ice pretend you are a penguin and center your weight to minimize your changes of slipping.  Also use a handrail when walking on ice or up and down wet/slippery steps.

When skiing or snowboarding distribute the weight or skis/boards, poles, and boots between both hands.  Lift heavy bags with your legs the larger muscle groups can handle the higher forces better than the smaller muscles in your back.

When playing in the snow and building snowmen and igloos remember the bigger pieces go on the bottom; not only would a top heavy snowman look like he’s standing on his head but he’d tip over destroying all the hard work your body put into lifting the heavy snow!  

Now go make a snow angel and enjoy a nice warm cup of hot cocoa!