Shoveling Snow – Exercise or Heart Attack Risk?

For those who are physically fit, you may see shoveling snow as exercise. It uses arm, back and leg muscles and increases your heart rate and burns about 300 calories in less than an hour. But shoveling snow isn’t for everyone.

Thousands of people get injured and dozens die every year while taking care of the maligned winter chore. As much as it can seem like a mundane outdoor job, shoveling snow has resulted in thousands of injuries and can even bring on a fatal heart attack. And for those of a certain age or health status, experts say it might be best to leave the shoveling for someone else.

A peer-reviewed study published in 2010 estimated that nearly 200,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for snow-shoveling-related incidents from 1990 to 2006, or an average of roughly 11,500 people a year. Soft-tissue injuries accounted for more than half (54.7%) of the cases tracked in the study. Lower-back injuries made up a little more than a third (34.3%) of the cases. Shoveling snow can also be a trigger for heart attacks, experts say. The 17-year study recorded 1,647 deaths, all of which were cardiac-related.

Older middle-aged adults should try to avoid shoveling snow, experts say. Dr. Barry Franklin, director of preventative cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation at Beaumont Health in Royal Oak, Michigan, has conducted studies on the topic after he knew two people who died during or after snow removal. He cautions against anyone over 45 partaking in the winter chore because of the “perfect storm” of factors that seem to cause heart attacks.

The precise age at which someone should hang up the shovel varies based on the person’s health status and heart history, Franklin says, but he generally recommends older adults to find another way to clear the driveway. “I think it’s really impossible to say a certain age. I see people every day; sometimes I see a guy who’s 70 who really looks and functions like he’s 40, and other people vice versa,” said Franklin.

Whether you are physically fit or not, you should take care shoveling and be aware of the following:

• Snow happens when it’s cold outside and a cold environment causes blood vessels to narrow which decreases oxygen to the heart.
• Shoveling or using a snow blower can cause a sudden increase in blood pressure and heart rate which cause clots to form and dislodge.
• The following symptoms are signs of a heart attack and you should stop shoveling immediately and call 911 if you think you are having a heart attack:
  • Squeezing chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Pain down the left arm or up into the shoulder
  • Breaking out in a cold sweat.
  • More subtle symptoms like jaw pain, nausea or vomiting
  • The more of these symptoms you have the higher the risk.
• Here are some tips before you start to shovel:
  • Warm up your muscles by stretching.
  • Cover your mouth and nose so you breathe in warmer air.
  • Shovel in light loads and take breaks if there is a lot of snow or you have a lot of area to shovel.
  • Drink water to stay hydrated.
  • Hire a teenage to shovel for you if you are not physically fit and at risk for a heart attack.

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