Flip Flop Rider

no snow shoveling here. but occasional shoveling yes

Wanderer

That's where I learned to shovel, 60 years back! In the corn crib, and the hog house! lol

tomato coupe

With over 20,000 sq. ft. of driveway and parking areas, we've got a lot of shoveling to do, despite clearing the bulk with a plow on a backhoe. Luckily, we don't get that much snow in Colorado.

Bassmanbob

I'm 55 and stopped shoveling snow at 28...



when I moved to SE Florida. But at least you get to enjoy the summer where it's not completely brutal.

OldsCOOL

Living in northern lower Michigan, the buckle of the snowbelt, we can get 10-15ft of snow in a season. Shovel? Nah. Zero impact and especially when I ride in it 3 times a week.

Here is my shovel (when snow is 2-3’ deep with drifts I attach the blower)

bruce19

Yes but I don't have a lot to shovel. Our walkway is not very long.

Biker395 

^ lol

I live in SoCal, and we don't get much snow. But in more snowy years, I find myself having to shovel my car out of 3+ feet of snow up in the Sierra.

Yea, I see why people have heart attacks doing that.

Brett A

I'm 54 and still love shoveling snow. It takes about 3 hours after each storm to clear my driveway and woodpile. I suffer no adverse effects. Use it or lose it is what I say. I live in rural New England, so I'm talking maybe twice a month between December and April if I'm lucky.

OldsCOOL

In our heavy snow winters (the kind that makes memories) our cars look like that most every day. I keep a soft bristle pushbroom on the porch alongside the shovel. This year and last has been a dream of sorts. But then, we still have 10 weeks to go.

AlmostTrick

rowerek

In south Florida no snow shoveling so far, however, every time hurricane is coming we have to put up hurricane shutters, very heavy metal panels . Usually it is in very hot and very humid weather, climbing a ladder, a few hours of heavy lifting with sweat pouring into eyes. That would be comparable or even worse than snow shoveling.

reverborama

Just came in from shoveling. If the snow is light and fluffy most of it gets done by my snow blower. If it is heavy and wet like today I blow what I can and shovel the rest. The stuff at the end of the driveway piled up by the plow was very difficult to move. I was able to blow the bulk of it but pushing the blower was as difficult as shoveling, I'm afraid. I do know a fellow that died shoveling snow. He was not in terribly good shape and had a heart attack. I think of him every time I am out there and make sure to watch for any tell-tale signs of that.

AlmostTrick

tilsover

Snow shoveling is exercise for sure, but different than bike riding. One is fun, the other, not so much. A good snow has me using my ATV/plow, a snowblower, and a shovel. It takes hours. I live in the country and if I don't do it, it doesn't get done. I'm thankful that I'm able. Good riding to you!

Mmassey338

I just turned 60 this week, and shoveled snow for the first time in my life two weeks ago. No plans to ever do it again.

downtube42

People with clogged arteries drop dead when they go out and shovel snow.

I gave away my snow shovel, and lawn mower, when we moved into a condo. Less maintenance means more time for riding. If i drop dead from exercise, it will be while climbing a foothill or mountain pass.

Machka 

Even though you are 50+, Bicycling and Fit, are you still Snow Shovelling?

Nope! Haven't shovelled snow since 2009. Haven't had snow since 2009.

bradybunch84

We moved from Kansas to get away from the cold when I retired. My wife hated the winters in Kansas. So here we are down by San Antonio and you are lucky to see snow fall and last more than an hour. Down here everyone runs outside to see it snow. Reminds me of when we were in Kansas. Except everyone was running outside to see a tornado. That is until it got close and then everyone scrambled to their basements.

AdkMtnMonster

Shoveled ~7" of fresh, heavy, wet snow this morning before I got on the trainer. I used the snowblower for the majority of it, though. When I was younger I couldn't afford a snowblower, so I used a manual low-tech shovel. Now that I'm older, I'm also wiser, and have a couple more dollars to waste on power tools. No one thinks twice about mowing a lawn with a powermower; when was the last time you saw someone out there pushing a reel mower on a full acre of thick turf? Use the right tool for the job.

Wildwood 

You crazy boy.
You must be coastal sea-level PNW.
Some of the rest of us moved here to enjoy winter skiing.
Mt. Baker = 600-800+" of snow is typical. Snowfall Statistics :: Mt. Baker Ski Area

'Nothing feels quite like the top of the hill- you can't catch me, you know you never will...'


Good times require a healthy dose of glissé.

Road Fan

What I do at 67 yo is to keep each lift only aerobic, don't lift too much at one time, and keep the rep rate low enough the heart rate does not go above the conversational level. Keeping the snow load low is what your "hit it early" idea does, so if you have enough time in the day keep that as part of your routine.

Lifting technique is the most important part for me, after controlling my pace. Here's what works for me, and I can't say it is best for everyone, though Mrs Road Fan uses it. First, push the snow into position before you are going to lift it. Pushing is just using your legs and keeping the shovel in the desired line. When lifting, I control how I lift, using what I learned in yoga. Several things are happening at one time, so just to jerk it does not protect me from a back injury. When you will lift you have to bend to grasp the shovel near the blade, with the other hand on the other end of the shovel handle. Bend only from the hips, not from the waist to reach down, and engage the core and the abdominals to keep the back and pelvis in alignment, at least as well as you do in comfortable cycling. That is what protects you from back injury. Step forward into a lunge in which you push the shovel blade under the snow, as far as you plan to lift. All through this lift with the snow you keep your abs and core engaged. At this point you are in kind of a lunge and you raise by straightening your legs, using quads and glutes. Walk your legs in so you can walk forward with the snow, to the place where you want to dump it. Best way to dump it is to turn the shovel over so the snow just falls off. Throwing it from the shovel can really cause harm and is rarely necessary. This whole routine will go slow when you start it, but it gets faster as we learn to walk and chew gum at the same time. It does not hurt to keep your abs and core engaged all through the shoveling session, for example as you walk over to the next place you are going to do a shovel lift. As cyclists we have better legs than backs.

As you build fluidity and strength, you should find it easier to lift larger loads, so snow shoveling can become a useful part of a fitness plan, though not even Joe Friel can put it on your planning chart.

Protect the heart, protect the back, use the legs, glutes, abs, and core, don't let your breathing get too high. If you are getting too huffy puffy, can't talk or your eyes are glazing, slow down and maybe count to 10 between strokes, or take a few good breaths.

With your Cross Fit you might have a lot more arm strength than I do (Mrs. Road Fan and I are close-matched), but building the discipline to protect your back using bending with abs and core engaged is IMO important even with good upper body strength. My most prominent muscles are round, in the middle, and related to food, and this routine based on what I learned in yoga makes shoveling possible for me.

Of course, I also have a 2-stage 8 hp snow thrower for heavy/wet/icy problems, too!

Road Fan

Very cool! Here in Ann Arbor (southern lower Michigan, y'all!) we get 2 foot accumulation occasionally. When our helpful Streets Department clears our street for public school access, of course the homeowners' driveways are provided to them for the snow to be dumped in. But that's why I have a good sized 2-stage 8 hp snow thrower with metal geartrain and snow augers. So far it's undefeated! Yay, Craftsman!

But I'm looking for a electric 2-stage. Mr. Craftsman is going on 15 years old.

skidder

I live in Southern California so no snow shoveling, but I do have to mow my lawn in the winter months. I'm an oddity since just about all my neighbors have a lawn service take care of their lawn and yards . . . and most are younger than me!

Clyde1820

Would love to. And I do, when the task is a relatively briefer one, with lighter snow.

But with old injuries that severely affect my stability, my days are long gone regarding attempting to clear a set of long sidewalks of 1ft deep snow, or similar. No can do that sort of thing, sadly. For a couple decades, now.

I'll tell you, though, that I do enthusiastically cheer on those who I see giving it a go, these days. It's inspiring ... even though I can't pitch in on the tougher situations.

Cougrrcj

Driveway is 85' long, 20' wide, plus the apron. For light/fluffy snow of an inch or two, I use the pushbroom. Heavier (wetter) snow up to four inches and I use a shovel. Over that, I break out the 12hp/32" two stage snowblower... If the snow is enough to make me break out the snowblower, I do the neighbor's driveway as well since it only takes five minutes for 'the beast' to clear a drive!