Spotlight On: Shoveling Safety

Before you pick up a shovel, make sure your heart is up to the task

With wintry weather making it difficult to get to the gym over the next few weeks, shoveling can be a great way to burn calories and remain physically active while you're snowed in. For a 150lb. person, shoveling can burn over 400 calories per hour. But, before you head out to tackle your driveway, the American Heart Association (AHA) cautions against overexerting yourself.

The AHA offers these tips if you are planning to shovel snow:

• Take frequent rest breaks during shoveling so you don’t overstress your heart. Pay attention to how your body feels during those breaks.
• Don’t eat a heavy meal prior or soon after shoveling. Eating a large meal can put an extra load on your heart.
• Use a small shovel or consider a snow thrower. The act of lifting heavy snow can raise blood pressure acutely during the lift. It is safer to lift smaller amounts more times, than to lug a few huge shovelfuls of snow.
• Learn the heart attack warning signs. If you are experiencing symptoms, but you're not sure it's a heart attack, have it checked out anyway.
• Don’t drink alcoholic beverages before or immediately after shoveling. Alcohol may increase a person’s sensation of warmth and may cause them to underestimate the extra strain their body is under in the cold.
• Consult your doctor if you have a medical condition, don’t exercise on a regular basis or are middle aged or older, to be sure you are physically fit enough to shovel.
• Be aware of the dangers of hypothermia. Heart failure causes most deaths in hypothermia. To prevent hypothermia, dress in layers of warm clothing, which traps air between layers forming a protective insulation. Wear a hat because much of your body’s heat can be lost through your head.