In snow season, Northern Colorado residents should be prepared to deal with clearing snow off their sidewalks within 24 hours of a storm ending.
This rule applies to residents in Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, Timnath and Wellington, which have all adopted snow removal ordinances.
But this can be a hazardous activity and isn’t safe for everyone.
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine reports that about 200,000 adults went to emergency rooms for snow shoveling accidents from 1990 to 2006, with more than 1,600 deaths.
How old is too old to be shoveling snow?
Anyone older than 45 should be cautious, according to an American Heart Association spokesperson. People with conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure or high cholesterol should also be careful, along with people who smoke, are very inactive, are obese or are sedentary.
If you fall into these categories, you might consider hiring someone else to do the job.
But if that’s not a possibility, here are some tips to reduce the amount of exertion. Many of these tips come from seasoned Wisconsonites who reported their hacks on social media site Reddit.
Snow removal rules: What to know about shoveling snow in Fort Collins following a storm
6 ways to make snow shoveling safer
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Shovel in intervals rather than all at once. “If many inches are expected, shovel every few hours as the snow falls, rather than waiting until the end of the storm,” one Reddit user suggested. “To do something half assed twice is easier than doing something whole assed once. Twice the excuse for a beer as well.”
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Push the snow, rather than lifting and throwing. This works better with a lighter snow. Stand upright and push the snow to its disposal location. If needed, you can “kick the back of the shovel (to expel the snow) to avoid unnecessary bending,” a Redditor suggested.
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Get an ergonomic shovel. “Those goofy looking bent-handle shovels are real back savers,” according to one Redditor tip. “I scoffed til I tried one.”
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Try a leaf blower. “Leaf blowers can be surprisingly effective if the wind is in your favor too.” This can work to reduce the amount of snow on top before going back with a shovel. This works better with a drier snow, rather than the wet spring snows.
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Don’t shovel more than you need to. The local ordinances require sidewalks to be shoveled, but not driveways. Still, to increase safety in your unshoveled driveway, clear only a solidary path to the sidewalk, your vehicles or other areas you need to access.
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Use a snowblower. Using a snowblower raises your heart rate to about 120 beats a minute, rather than the 170 beats per minute when shoveling, according to the American Heart Association.
How to optimize your shoveling routine
Here are more tips from Reddit users to make lighter work of the task:
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“Spray the blade with cooking spray; snow slides right off.”
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“Keep the shovel cold so the snow slides off.”
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“I shovel early if possible and let the sun do the final cleanup.”
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“Plastic shovel only … Plastic moves much easier over concrete or asphalt than aluminum.”
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“Push with the blade at a diagonal to reduce snags on the concrete cracks.”
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Shovel soon after it snows, and especially before you start driving on the driveway. It’ll keep snow from getting packed down, which makes it harder to remove and can cause icy spots.
Be a good neighbor
Fort Collins city ordinance says not to shovel the snow into the road or other rights of way. Instead, shovel it onto your yard; the moisture will be great for your lawn.
Consider simply doing the favor for your elderly or immobile neighbor when it snows.
And “if a neighbor was nice enough to do say your sidewalk if they were up early, always bring them beer,” a Redditor suggests.
USA TODAY reporter Greta Cross contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Shoveling snow can be hazardous for those 45 and older, with conditions