Shoveling Snow Can Be a Really Good Workout!

We got several inches of snow last Monday, and since Nate has been working like crazy having started the busy audit season 6 weeks earlier than usual, he's not around much to do any snow shoveling. I figured that I might as well do is since it mostly benefits me. Once Mason and Jackson were both down for naps, Jefferson and I got in some snow clothes and went outside to shovel. I didn't think it would be too hard or take a long time- I used to help shovel snow as a kid - but boy was I wrong. Not only did we have about 8 inches of snow on our driveway (the other side of the street had less- the wind must have blown it our way), but the snowplows had gone done our street and had pushed the snow off the road towards our side of the street, so that added a couple inches on the sidewalk and the lower half of our driveway, plus it was more packed down, so it added weight. So it took me over about an hour to get it all shoveled, without taking any breaks. As soon as I got inside and warmed up some, I looked up how many calories are burned shoveling snow. Most sites calculated around 400/hr but some sites said as many as 900 calories/hour. Either way it was still a decent workout- better than all of the lower intesity exercises and on par with weight lifting (vigorous), skiing, and swimming. Here's what the snow looked like the next day (and it had started snowing again):