Is Snow Shoveling Dangerous?

As I am writing this entry I am seeing a snowstorm predicted for next weekend.  UGHHHH..I used to LOVE the snow when I was a kid…no school, playing snow football with friends, building forts and otherwise having a great time.  As adults, most of you probably feel the same: BIG pain in the butt…kids home from school, commutes to work messed up, businesses lose $$$, etc.

With the snow comes the necessity of clearing driveways and walkways, i.e. shoveling snow (unless you pay someone else to do this).  I would bet that most of you have had either a relative, friend, neighbor or some other person you know suffer a heart issue during/shortly after snow shoveling.  Personally, my older brother died suddenly the night after he shoveled snow intensively earlier that day.  So why is shoveling snow potentially dangerous to a certain subset of people?

Snow shoveling is dangerous for people over 60 (and often over 45) because it combines intense physical exertion with cold weather, creating a “perfect storm” that significantly raises heart rate and blood pressure, straining the heart, especially for those not used to regular exercise, increasing risks of heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest, plus adding fall/balance risks due to mobility changes in older adults. The cold constricts blood vessels, while lifting heavy snow triggers breath-holding and upper-body strain, making the activity as demanding as a stress test, particularly for those with sedentary lifestyles or underlying heart conditions.

An additional factor: Exercising the arms actually puts more strain on the heart than leg exercises.

Given the above factors, I would recommend that anyone over the age of 50 that has a known history of coronary artery disease or major risk factors for developing coronary blockage is best off paying the kid down the street (or some other service) to do the “heavy lifting” that snow shoveling requires.  Be smart!