Shoveling snow is a pain in the patoot

[A.H.Black]

Literally.

I thought this thread might have a general appeal right about now. 1 1/2 hours yesterday while it was still snowing. Going on an hour so far today. It will probably be about 2 hours today. I have one of those driveways where the snow has to go all the way forward or all the way back - no sides at all.

How many calories do you burn shoveling snow. I'm counting it as exercise.

[AliasJohnDoe]

I live in the back mountains. My driveway at the house is over "2 football fields" long to the main road. Then I have to plow the parking lot at the bar my sister and I own. Luckily I've had a truck with a plow attached that's only used for plowing in the winter. I also have to spread ashes along the house driveway since it has an upward slope(I refuse to use rock salt because of the damage it does). The ashes are the biggest help for traction. The big pain is cleaning up the ashes in the spring with a pushbroom and a shovel. I also have a snow blower for portions of the driveway around the house the plow can't get to. I shovel the sidewalks around the house and always wake up the next day with a back ache. But it's good exercise. My beagle always sets in the passenger side seat in the truck while I plow to keep me company.

[Vash01]

I feel for you. I lived in Idaho for a few years, and used to shovel snow. Now I live in Phoenix, and there is no snow to shovel. It's great!

[Skittl1321]

Snow shoveling definetly counts as exercise. We skip the gym is we have more than 4 inches. Snow here tends to be really heavy too, some places it is light and fluffy.

[my little pony]

i think we should just wait for it to melt

[Aimless]

I absolutely love to shovel snow, quite seriously. I like the vigorous purposeful exercise in brisk air, interacting with neighbors similarly engaged, seeing the results of my labor, and enjoying that I don't have to pay anybody to do it for me. I gave four snow shovels for Christmas gifts this year--nice ones with ergonomic grips, high capacity, light weight, and a durable metal edge. I'd come over and help you if you were near by. We only got rain and wind here on Long Island.

[Anita18]

My dad got sick of shoveling snow after the blizzard of '96 and moved us all to California. So we feel you!

[KatieC]

I gave up this morning after clearing about half and caught a ride with a friend. I knew if I cleared out the whole driveway, I'd have to go right back to bed! Very heavy, sticky snow today, but I kept hoping Mr Kind Neighbour with a snowblower would take pity, and he did!

[cruisin]

We get our driveway plowed, it's too steep to shovel safely. I shovel the sidewalk. Then I scrape part of the driveway that is treacherous when pulling the car in (very steep). Yesterday, my foot slipped and I went down the driveway. Knee, hip, shoulder are killing me! But, I got up and shoveled again this morning. And carried all the trash out. Damn trash collectors never came. so, I had to carry it all back down the driveway, into the garage/basement, this evening. It will be a week before we have another pick-up. All of the christmas trash is in my basement! Called the health department, they said that the trash collectors came through, but NO ONE on my street had their trash picked up. They lied (I'm sure!).

[A.H.Black]

I absolutely love to shovel snow, quite seriously. I like the vigorous purposeful exercise in brisk air, interacting with neighbors similarly engaged, seeing the results of my labor, and enjoying that I don't have to pay anybody to do it for me. I gave four snow shovels for Christmas gifts this year--nice ones with ergonomic grips, high capacity, light weight, and a durable metal edge. I'd come over and help you if you were near by. We only got rain and wind here on Long Island.

We had 10 days of straight snow one year and I felt a bit like you. I met more neighbors that winter than I ever did in the summer. But that was in 1993. I'm a whole lot older now. Everything aches and I'm going to have a nice moan for a little while. Then I'll shut up.

[GarrAarghHrumph]

How many calories do you burn shoveling snow. I'm counting it as exercise.

You should count it as exercise.

According to the sources I just checked, 30 minutes of shoveling snow by hand burns about 240 calories. And here, the snow was heavy and wet, so I'd count it as more than that.

[moebius]

That's why I would never live in the midwest or east coast. I don't really care for seasons. As long as I don't have to endure extreme temperatures I'm a happy camper.

[Prancer]

Meh. We shoveled twice in the last two days because the forecast was calling for more snow this weekend and we were trying to stay on top of it as it snowed.

It's supposed to be in the 50s tomorrow and every day for the next few days, and all the snow in the forecast is now supposed to be rain.

So mlp had it right, at least for us.

[cygnus]

i think we should just wait for it to melt

In Ottawa, that would mean sometime in late March, probably.

[snoopysnake]

I absolutely love to shovel snow, quite seriously. I like the vigorous purposeful exercise in brisk air, interacting with neighbors similarly engaged, seeing the results of my labor, and enjoying that I don't have to pay anybody to do it for me. I gave four snow shovels for Christmas gifts this year--nice ones with ergonomic grips, high capacity, light weight, and a durable metal edge. I'd come over and help you if you were near by. We only got rain and wind here on Long Island.

Not being nearby is no excuse. I expect you to shovel my driveway, sidewalks, (my house is on a corner lot) steps and walkways after each snow from now on. And I will not pay you one cent. If you like shoveling snow so much, it will be no problem for you!

[Really]

Now that we're on an acreage, we have a garden tractor (with a mower attachment) that now has a blade for plowing snow. Hubby didn't get around to teaching me how to use it before his surgery, so my son-in-law had a blast clearing out the snow we got just before Christmas. I had to do some shoveling at our old place (haven't sold it yet) to keep the town bylaw officer from giving us a ticket -- THAT was no fun in -20C temps and a breeze!

But yeah, shoveling's good exercise -- but you have to be careful if you're older -- too many people drop dead of heart attacks while shoveling heavy snow!

[smurfy]

I live in a townhouse and the association takes care of the shoveling (and all lawncare). I love not having to do the shoveling! I used to do it and it is hard work!!

[vesperholly]

We got at least a foot of snow on Wednesday ... had to "shovel" out my car at work with a SnoBrum, only to get stuck three times trying to get out (rotten low-slung Mazda). Thankfully coworkers helped push my car into the street. I then spent 45 minutes trying to piece together some combination of plowed roads that would take me home - a trip that usually takes less than 15 but is mostly side streets.

THEN when I got to my apartment complex, the plows hadn't come yet and I got stuck in the driveway. Luckily I was close enough to the parking lot that I just shoveled out a spot and parked my car near the entrance. Got to trudge through a foot of snow to my building, 8 buildings away. Thank god for my snowboots. Yesterday I got to re-shovel myself out!

Needless to say, I AM IN PAIN.

[A.H.Black]

An hour and a half yesterday. The 13-year-old boy next door finally came out to help with the drive way (It's a shared drive way.) He complained about how tired he was and how he wasn't getting paid and how it was wasting his time (loss of video game time). I guess that's about being 13. I probably would have been the same at 13. I just growled at him. That was supposed to be it for this storm. Not.

4 more inches this morning. My kind neighbor has snowblowed my front walks. I don't know if I have the energy for the rest. Maybe I'll go at it 10 minutes at a time.

I empathize with those in pain.

[woodstock]

I think it might have been that particular 13 year old, because in my neighborhood a group of 3-4 of them will walk around with their shovels and help anyone out. For a donation of course, but at least they're enterprising and productive ( and 4 kids clear a driveway in no time at all!)