There’s nothing quite like a winter weekend in Tahoe, but along with the great skiing comes a whole lotta shoveling. Toddy, my sweetheart, is a real gentleman and takes care of most of the manual labor around the house.  Occasionally, I help, especially when I make him try new ergonomic gadgets.

When it came time to clear the 2 feet of snow from the deck recently, we modified our shovels by adding the Stout’s BackSaver Grip.  Todd, who has had some back troubles, eagerly gave it a try.

With the BackSaver Grip in place, your hand rests about 6 inches above the shaft of the shovel, rather than on the shaft itself. Having your hand at that higher level significantly reduces the twisting and bending of your back when you scoop and lift the snow.  The weight of the shovel and the snow is also now closer to your center of gravity, making every lift more efficient.

The standard shovel forces you to twist and bend your back to hold the shaft.

The BackSaver Grip significantly reduces back twisting and bending.

That doesn’t mean you can forget about good body mechanics.  Remember to bend your knees and your hips to get down to your target while keeping your back straight.  And lift with the power of your legs rather than your arms and back.

One warning for those of us who may be somewhat vertically challenged:  with the BackSaver Grip, I had more difficulty lifting the shovel over the railing to dump the snow.  The higher grip on the shovel forced me to bend my elbows and shoulders more in order to clear the rail.  But nonetheless, it reduced the stress on my back.

The BackSaver Grip can be added to shovels, rakes, fishing poles, or just about any long-handle tool.  It’s easy to install — doesn’t require any tools — and easy to adjust for users of various heights.

Give it a try!  It reduces the stress on your back and makes any long-handle tool ergonomically better.