Safely Shoveling Snow

Winter. It is the season for ice-skating, sledding, and snow shoveling-related heart attacks. Researchers estimate that more than 1,000 people die each year of heart attacks related to shoveling snow. You are at risk if you are over 40 and have a history of heart disease, have a heart disorder, smoke, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, are overweight, or sedentary.

Snow shoveling can be a great form of exercise, if some precautions are taken.

• If you have a heart problem, do not shovel snow without a doctor's permission.
• Do not shovel after eating, consuming alcohol, or while smoking.
• Pace yourself. Shoveling can raise your heart rate and blood pressure. Consider interval shoveling. Lift 10 shovel-fuls, walk to the other end of the sidewalk and lift 10 more, then walk back again.
• If the snow is too heavy to lift, push it like a snowplow.
• Do not try to lift too much at once.
• Do not work to the point of exhaustion. Take breaks often.
• Wear a scarf or mask. Inhaling cold air may constrict arteries, decreasing your heart's supply of oxygen.
• Use your legs when you scoop. Keep them bent and "sit" into the scoop. Let your shoulders, torso, and thighs do the work for you.
• Dress warmly, and wear boots with treads designed to keep you from falling.