A Natural Workout

Who needs a gym when you have three feet of snow outside?

After several days of shoveling snow at my house and at my son's gymnastics center, I thought my back would be in severe discomfort by now, if not outright pain. But not so! For this, I credit a variety of sources who made it clear that using the legs is crucial to proper shoveling technique.

I look a little silly, dropping down into a squat position each time I fill the shovel full of snow, slush and ice, but I can feel the stress in my legs, not my back. It truly is a great leg workout. I also emphasize throwing the snow a bit, giving me a good upper body workout. I particularly feel it in my triceps and shoulders. Good stuff.

There has to be a cardio component as well, given that after a few minutes of this I'm breathing pretty heavy. I make sure to take a break every 10 minutes or so to catch my breath and to let my heart rate settle down.

It's not quite the Body for Life Program, but if it works, don't fix it.