By Laura, Guest Blogger
If you’ve got to die, try to do it doing something fun. Or at least die trying not to. But to die shoveling snow? You’d probably feel pretty stupid after that. You might even have to stand in the corner in Heaven for a while or something. Here’s a little public service announcement on how not to die shoveling snow (an look a little cooler in Heaven).
- Avoid early morning snow clearing: your blood clots more easily after you’ve been sleeping. This is your pass to procrastinate the shoveling for a while.
- Don’t drink coffee or smoke before shoveling: caffeine and nicotine speed your heart rate and constrict blood vessels. If that’s the sum total of your diet, you might have bigger problems then show.
- Push it like a plow instead of lifting. Wet snow is a lot heavier – about 20 pounds per cubic foot. Plows on the street don’t lift; they push – watch them and repeat.
- Make sure to keep your back straight and knees bent as you drive the shovel into the snow. If you’ve ever used your upper body to lift or carry anything, you should already know this one.
- Spraying silicone (or cooking spray) on your shovel before you use it makes the snow slide off more easily. There is no need to flour your shovel.
Boom! There you go – another life saved. Yes, being a simple blogger can seem small, but every once in a while you get to be a hero. Until next time!