"Dashing through the snow ... laughing all the way"... Do the inches of snowfall piling up outside your window have you crying instead of laughing? Shoveling snow may never be fun, but it can be injury free.

You would never run nine miles per hour without training or warming up, would you? Yet, you exert the same amount when shoveling snow! No wonder that, after a heavy snowfall, the emergency rooms of the north are filled with heart attack victims. If you are sedentary the rest of the year, be very careful when shoveling snow, or pay a neighborhood child to do it. As with exercise, it is important to be well rested before starting to shovel snow, to wear appropriate attire, and to warm up.

Before starting to shovel make sure you have the time to do it properly. Being rushed can make you cut corners that lead to injury. If you know it will snow overnight, go to bed extra early so that you can get up in plenty of time to shovel properly and completely before going to work.

Never drink caffeinated beverages or smoke just before shoveling. They both are vasoconstrictors — which can lead to hypothermia and frostbite, and raise the heart rate. These factors can lead to heart attacks when one adds the additional strain of shoveling. That means, if it snows overnight, you need to be up early enough to shovel without having a cup of coffee beforehand.

Freshly fallen snow is much lighter than snow that has melted slightly and refrozen overnight. If it snows in the afternoon, shovel as soon as the snow stops. Do not let the snow sit overnight, if possible.

Drink plenty of water. With this kind of exertion, dehydration is a real problem, not to mention the additional moisture lost through breathing cold, dry air.

Dress in loose layers. You need to be at the right temperature, not too cold nor too warm. When you start shoveling you will need more layers than after 15 or 20 minutes of exertion. Wearing all natural fibers, like cotton or wool, not only allows sweat to get away before it cools you, but allows your skin to breathe. You should wear boots with non-slip soles and with plenty of room for several layers of socks. Gloves should be waterproof on the outside, with a liner for warmth.

As with all physical exertion, you must warm up before starting. Do some simple static stretches for the back, legs and arms before heading outside. Take frequent rest breaks, especially if you are out of shape.

Push the snow rather than lift it, if at all possible. When you must lift the snow follow these simple guidelines. Keep your back straight Bend your knees and tighten your stomach muscles, rather than bending at the waist.

Keep the snow as close to your center of gravity as possible. Do not twist to throw snow turn you whole body.

To prevent snow from sticking to your shovel spray it with WD-40 or silicone lubricant. Leave the shovel outside so that it reaches the same temperature as the snow, before you start shoveling.

Enjoy this year's winter wonderland.

Leslie Hope has been licensed, certified massage therapist since 1988 when she graduated from the Massage Institute of New England. She is the owner of the Healing Hands of Hope in Boston, Mass.