A link round up in honour of those of in southwestern Ontario experiencing life after Monday’s giant snow storm.
Making Snow Shoveling Your Workout
“For anyone that has shoveled snow, you know it can be a workout! Pushing and throwing that wet, heavy snow can be comparable to a weight-lifting session or even an aerobic workout on the treadmill. According to LiveStrong, an average person can burn 223 calories per 30 minutes while shoveling snow.
So the next time Mother Nature decides to give you an outdoor workout, treat it like you would a gym and prepare! Here are a few tips to make sure you get the most out of your fun in the snow:”
Good idea not to ride outside today
“Oh boy, that snow is not going anywhere. For those who live in Ontario and Quebec, you’ve seen a yuge snowfall. The drifts are everywhere, main roads are slippery, and the side ones are precarious at best.
Crews are working as fast as they can, but there’s a LOT of snow.
Canadian Cycling Magazine loves to encourage riders to cycle outside as much as possible, and is a firm believer in all-year biking. But maybe, just maybe, you deserve a rest day today? Unless it’s absolutely necessary. Or just turn on Zwift and don’t look out the window.
The bike paths seem to be the last things on the city’s mind today.”
7 Reasons to Ride Outside This Winter
Here’s Reason 4: “Many cyclists are working from home this year which means far fewer chances to get some much needed vitamin D. When you dress properly for the cold, the mental health benefits of going for even a short ride though the neighbourhood can be significant.”
Why Sweden Clears Walkways Before Roads
“An analysis of Sweden’s snow clearance practices showed that it disadvantaged women, who were more likely to walk, while employment districts where men predominantly worked were more likely to have streets plowed first.
Not only was the impact of snow clearance priorities discriminatory, there were negative consequences for society as a whole. Three times as many people are injured while walking in icy conditions in Sweden than while driving. And the cost of those injuries far exceeds the cost of snow clearance.
So the order was reversed. Municipalities faced no additional cost for clearing pedestrian paths first. And it reduced injuries, in addition to being objectively fairer.”
Our bike paths are cleared by the Parks Department, roads by Streets. Since Parks has little else to do in the winter, they are often out very early. I can ride on a cleared path at 6 AM, while my neighborhood streets may not be cleared for a few days. On a very snowy day, I like to shovel several times – it keeps the sidewalk clear, it helps keep the snow from freezing to the sidewalk and getting harder to clear, and it saves my back, turning it into multiple aerobic workouts instead of one heavy lifting workout.