Belonging Matters

From the Director: Happy New Year!

As KCHA staff and students enjoy a bit of rest and rejuvenation during our winter break, we wish you the happiest of New Years. May you feel deeply connected and well as you embrace the possibilities and promises that 2026 is sure to bring to you and yours.

Though our break means a shorter newsletter this month, we’re certain you will find the tips for staying safe while shoveling snow both timely and helpful!

KCHA’s Student and Intern Clinics will be ready to help support your wellness in the new year. We’ve included a link to our booking page at the end of the newsletter.

Shawn Compau
She/her/hers
Director, Co-Owner & Instructor

Even for those who exercise regularly, high-load, repetitive stress makes shoveling snow a rigorous, whole-body workout that can result in serious injury and strain.

Poor technique most often results in lower back issues, followed by shoulder, upper-back, and core muscle issues. The hips, quads, hamstrings, knees, calf muscles, and lower legs can also be strained while shoveling with poor technique.

Cardiovascular strain can be an underrated concern, and snow shoveling can place an outsize demand on it. While folks with healthy hearts and who work out regularly are less likely to suffer, there is still cause for concern.

Avoid caffeine and nicotine before shoveling. Caffeine and nicotine act as stimulants to our bodies by increasing the heart rate and constricting blood vessels, which puts more strain on the heart.

Always warm up before shoveling! As with any exercise, you need to prime the body for activity. Vigorously march or walk in place for one to two minutes to get your blood flowing.

Prime your shoulder joints with arm circles. Perform 10 forward circles, then reverse direction, and rotate your arms backward for 10 more.

Get your core and oblique muscles ready with trunk rotations.

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, your arms out to your sides, and your elbows and knees slightly bent.
• Keeping your back straight, rotate your torso to your right, pivoting on the ball of your left foot for 30 to 60 seconds.
• Switch direction, rotate your torso to the left, and pivot on your right foot for 30 to 60 seconds.

Stretch your hamstrings. Calf raises warm up the muscles closest to the snow and get the most continuous work.

Stretch your hamstrings. Calf raises warm up the muscles closest to the snow and get the most continuous work.

Wear slip-resistant footwear. A stable base is essential to keeping your feet where they’re supposed to be. So, in addition to a waterproof, insulated shoe, you’ll want one with deep lugs for traction and ankle support to further prevent slipping.

Use Proper Body Mechanics

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart to maintain balance.
• Keep your back straight through all movements.
• Avoid twisting.
• Use your knees and hips—not your back—when lifting. The legs have powerful muscle groups. So make sure the legs carry the brunt of the lifting.
• Bend and straighten the knees when shoveling, and keep the back straight. Also, when bending your legs, make sure your knees don’t drift forward past your toes. What you really want is to do a squat.
• Separate the hands on the shovel. Creating space between your hands can increase leverage on the shovel.

When possible, push the snow. It’s easier to push the shovel full of snow instead of lifting and throwing the snow. If you must lift, lift smaller loads.

Drink plenty of water. When we’re cold, the body decreases blood flow to our extremities to centralize heat at our core, which can disrupt hormonal signals that regulate water retention and trigger thirst, reducing the desire to drink by up to 40 percent and doubling the depletion of our reserves.

Shovel more often and set a time limit. Take a break after 20 – 30 minutes of shoveling.

Student Clinic  image in GoDaddy library

Welcome the new year with the gift of a massage for yourself or a loved one.

Whether you’re looking to relieve stress, ease muscle tension, or simply recharge, regular massage can help you embrace the season with renewed energy and well-being.

A massage at Kalamazoo Center for the Healing Arts is a perfect gift to give or receive. As students near the end of their training and new graduates hone their skills, they are ready to provide massage for the public.

These relaxing sessions are affordable. Gift certificates and monthly specials are available. Check the booking site for more details.

“In January, you can hear the quiet of the world starting again.”                ~Anonymous