It's snow season and it's that time of year where in many parts of the country (and areas around the world), shoveling snow is practically mandatory. Some use Snow Ploughs but for the most part, a shovel is their only hope to get rid of snow when it's dumped on your car, covered up around your door step, your backyard or the driveway. When you're not use to exercising and you don't have a choice but to shovel snow, it can be very difficult on some people and they can hurt themselves or worse, have a heart attack (it does happen more often than we care to admit).
It's a blessing that I've never been injured shoveling snow and it's actually one of my favorite forms of exercise. For a decade now over the winters here in Idaho, snow shoveling has been a big factor in how my fitness is being tested and although it's something many people do, how many get hurt doing this simple task? Depending on your area and how wet and/or heavy the snow is, it can vary in weight and how your body handles the stress. It's hard work at times but it can be quite fun.
At our house during the winter, I'd be up around between 5 and 7am working the driveway so my wife can get out in the morning to head to work. When the ploughs would come by, at times they'll inadvertently create a berm that blocks the driveway which at times creates heavier snow to move. It's a pain in the ass but you do what you need to do man. I'm one of those few people who actually loves to shovel snow and gets a lot of satisfaction out of it. Put some music on, twist, turn, lift, carry and have a blast. Often I'd be shoveling multiple times a day so the conditioning really kicks into gear.
Now, what do Isometrics have to do with shoveling snow. For one, when you have to twist and turn, you're using muscles not normally used so the joints surrounding those muscles need to be strong and durable otherwise you're running a greater risk of injury. Number 2, Isometrics can be a key ingredient in how you can maintain and even increase the strength of your tendons and ligaments in order to be efficient, fast and have suppleness/flexibility so you can get the job done without hurting yourself. Does shoveling snow to be considered manual labor? I'd say so and it's important to have a solid level of conditioning and strength because if you don't cover all the bases, there can be complications.
Isometrics have been a staple for many for centuries and most today can't understand how valuable and even necessary to train with Isometrics. A priority as a human being, is to be strong and conditioned at just about any given time and gives off a sense of honor when it's used to help others and not just as a individual. I love training with Isometrics because I can work so many angles in a short amount of time and strengthen those weak areas I might have and be able to gain strength from places most don't think can get strong.
Isometrics don't just strengthen joints, muscles and the tendons & ligaments, they provide somewhat of a shield to prevent injuries as much as possible. We can't 100% avoid injuries but if we can reduce the risks as much as we can, wouldn't it be worth it. The amount of exercise for Isometrics is limitless but find what works best for you and make the most of what's possible to be as strong but feel light as a feather. That's the beauty of them, they can make you feel like you're walking on air, be faster, move with greater ease and handle physical stress in a better fashion. Read up on my article about Isometrics building a structure like Wolverine's Adamantium Skeletal Structure.
Isometrics are truly the lost secrets of building incredible strength and the greater we can build on them, the better we can handle other tasks in life. Be strong from every angle imaginable and enjoy the fruits of fitness in an awesome way.
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