Shovel smart!

The American Physical Therapy Association says there are things you can do to make shoveling snow a little less stressful for your body. They recommend:

* Shovel in the afternoon if you can. More slipped discs occur in the morning when the fluid pressure in spinal disks is higher because your body has rested all night.

* Warm up your muscles before starting a strenuous task. Do a few stretching exercises, so the work doesn’t come as a shock to your body.

* Freshly fallen snow is lighter than snow that has had a chance to pack down. If you have a choice, clear it when it stops falling or before.

* Push snow out of the way when you can — don’t lift. Pushing requires less effort.

* Lift smaller loads of snow rather than heavy ones. Always try to bend your knees and lift with your legs instead of your back.

* Don’t lift and twist. Step into the direction you are throwing the snow. When doing a driveway, shovel at right angles to the edge to toss the snow forward.

* Take frequent breaks. Go inside to warm up and rest for a time.

* Use a shovel that fits. Find one with a shaft that is about chest high on you, which lets you keep your back straight when lifting. Using a shovel with a short shaft causes your back to bend more to lift the load. A shovel that is too tall makes the weight heavier at the end.

Of course, one of the best pieces of safety advice is still to get a snow removal service or recruit a strong young person to do it for you. You can find people with the right equipment who want to do the job and know how to do it safely.