user experience: snow shovels

[cellio]

Often when (or after :-( ) shoveling snow I notice that, despite my best posture efforts, the shovel's handle is just too darn short. Bending at the waist invites lower-back complaints later, but sometimes I just can't do it all by bending at the knees. Sometimes I can "shovel" by (mostly) pushing snow around, but when I've got to lift and move snow, I become quite aware of the shortcomings of the tool. This has been true for every snow shovel I have ever used.

I'm 5'3". This has to be an even bigger problem for people who are much taller than me, right? So... what's the secret? Are there long-handled shovels out there? Do tall people just crouch more when shoveling? Inquiring minds want to know.

Comments

[metahacker.livejournal.com]

Trouble: sort of. It uses the heck out of my obliques (muscles on the sides of the abdomen), so those are usually quite sore the next day if I'm out of shape. But snow shoveling usually wrecks me anyway, as I take less care not to overdo it than perhaps I should...

After I figured out I could turn my lead hand over, so I have my thumb away from the shovel head, things got a lot easier. It's kind of a sideways rowing motion.