Put away the snowblower and get out the shovel! Shoveling snow can burn an average of 500 calories an hour and is considered a high – intensity workout. Make it worth your while by using good form, taking no breaks and adding a few specific moves to enhance your strength and your calorie burn. Here is how to turn shoveling snow into a total body workout!
1.) Tone your butt and legs. Use a squat form to bend rather than bending over at the waist. Wearing snow boots will help steady you and aid in not letting your knees move past your toes when you bend. Make the squat an up and down motion and keep your back out if the move.
2.) Give your arms and shoulders a work out by using your arms to shovel and lift the snow rather than lifting with your back. After shoveling a few times, grab the handle of the shovel like you are holding a barbell and do a set of 10 dead rows. Alternate between the two for at least 15 minutes.
3.) Strengthen your core and work your abs by holding your stomach tight the entire time. Think of pulling your belly button back into your spine and keeping good posture. By doing this you won’t even have to do specific exercises for your abs, but you will get some huge results.
4.) Be careful out there. Don’t try anything tricky because the snow and ice can create dangerous conditions. You don’t want to do anything that will cause you to be unstable and fall like lunges or jumps. Stick to the basics and do sets of your favorite exercises (like upright tows, bicep curls and overhead military presses) in between sets of shoveling. Consult your doctor or trainer first to make sure you won’t sustain injuries.
5.) Burn those calories. The colder the weather the more calories you will burn from your body trying to stay warm so use the chilliest days to your advantage. Try to stay out for an hour to burn the maximum amount of calories (between 400 and 600). If you get done with your shoveling sooner, bestow a surprise on a neighbor by doing their walk as well (especially people like the elderly that can really use the help).
Wearing a heart monitor will show you how effective your snow shoveling work out can be. If you use a fit bit or other type of tracker you will be sure to get lots of extra steps in too. But more than steps it is the calorie burning and the targeting toning of the muscles that are the biggest benefit of turn shoveling snow into a total body workout.
