Shoveling and Heart Attacks

palides2021

palides2021

Well-known Member
Location
MidAtlantic, USA
I saw this article today from AARP about shoveling and heart attacks and it got me to thinking:

https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2022/snow-shovel-heart-attack.html

Now that I turned 65 and live alone and in an area where there is snow, maybe I should reconsider
going south. I tend to shovel the snow whenever I see it, but maybe should be more careful in the future.
 

palides2021 said:
That, too, @Aunt Bea! Being sedentary is one of the things listed that can harm a person along with alcohol and tobacco. I think, though, that it's good to be careful when shoveling snow or doing any labor intensive exercise. Don't you think?
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I think that we should all be aware of our limitations.

At this point, I'm pretty much limited to pulling out a credit card or writing a check. ;)
 
We have to walk the fine line between getting things done and being gentle with ourselves. If it is too strenuous either forget it or, if you can, pay to have it done. I just found out that, being so self sufficient, I did too much and have hurt myself to the point where I don't have any choice but get help to do some things.

My lawn cutting service also takes care of the snow shoveling for me. And, I'm going to try to find a reasonably priced handy-man to help when needed. I doubt if that will happen very often.

Sometimes being self sufficient means outsourcing some jobs. :oops:
 
palides2021 said:
I saw this article today from AARP about shoveling and heart attacks and it got me to thinking:

https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2022/snow-shovel-heart-attack.html

Now that I turned 65 and live alone and in an area where there is snow, maybe I should reconsider
going south. I tend to shovel the snow whenever I see it, but maybe should be more careful in the future.
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Moving south make sure it's far enough to be able to get out & walk while others are enduring power loss, freezing temps & shoveling snow. Or move to a condo where the 4th floor is available. I've been told grass & snow never reaches that level.
 
Shoveling snow....Or ANY fairly strenuous physical activity....can cause a heart attack, IF a person is not physically fit. A light 1 or 2 inches of snow isn't that hard to shovel, but if the depth is several inches, or feet, that chore can be more than most Seniors should attempt.

The best advice is to watch the weather forecasts, and if a strong storm is predicted, stock up on groceries, ahead of time, and wait it out. If you are lucky, their might be a couple of teenagers, nearby, willing to clear the snow.
 
Always let a Mate know that you are going out to shovel, and be sure and wear a watch and carry your cell phone. Set a time to come in and stick to it. Don't be out in the dark shoveling. Dress for visibility and dress according to conditions. Try not to think that you are shoveling a parking place for the ambulance, and you will be fine. :rolleyes:
 
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I read about people having heart attacks while shoveling snow after a sedentary lifestyle.
My niece (sedentary & 100 lbs. overweight) came by for a visit & wanted to try out my elliptical.
I didn't want her to, but she got on it & I set the resistance at the minimum - no resistance. It has a built-in heart rate monitor that displays on a screen continuously. I have to work hard with moderate resistance to get my heart rate up to 130. She's half my age & her heart rate went up to 175 within a minute. I had her stop immediately. Scared the hell outta me.
 
We were watching the "whiteout" blizzard videos of the winter storm this weekend. Have lived south for so long, can't imagine going through that kind of brutal weather for months on end. Love the warm and hot weather. Got A/C, got pool, got spring flowers blooming already outside the front door. Just hope all those folks in the storms path stay safe.
 
Watching weather reports, whenever i move (hopefully never again) i check with various sources to see which is right more often after a couple of years i learn the clues sky, wind (direction and force), smell of the air give to whether 'in for it' regardless of what the weather apps say.

Living rural we tend to stay stocked up on necessities. And no sidewalks to clear. If the weather is real bad my daughter will stay at the motel she manages overnight. Makes it easier if a guest's heater goes out. And if the snow is getting deep i'll park up by the road (Long driveway).

My biggest issue is the ridge of snow the plows leave blocking the drive. But i have an ergonomic shovel i got while still in Laramie, Wyoming that makes it a little easier. And i load buckets of cold ash from our woodstove into car and scattering it where i need to clear helps. Since daughter works afternoon into evening i can usually clear it by the time she has to go.

I'm fairly active, splitting and stacking wood, other chores and I'm learning to pace myself. But was very grateful after our biggest snowstorm last winter when a neighbor going by with his heavy equipment stopped and plowed not just the top of drive by road but all the way down to by the house. And he refused to take any payment.
 
feywon said:
Living rural we tend to stay stocked up on necessities. My biggest issue is the ridge of snow the plows leave blocking the drive.
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Same here. We live in a deep forest, and keep plenty of food on hand. If the snow is deep enough for the county to plow, they usually leave a bit of a "hump" at the end of the driveway. However, if they are forecasting that much snow, I go out the day before and mount the blade on my tractor. That way, I can plow the driveway, and smooth out the hump. Luckily, it's been several years since we had that much snow.
 
Don M. said:
Same here. We live in a deep forest, and keep plenty of food on hand. If the snow is deep enough for the county to plow, they usually leave a bit of a "hump" at the end of the driveway. However, if they are forecasting that much snow, I go out the day before and mount the blade on my tractor. That way, I can plow the driveway, and smooth out the hump. Luckily, it's been several years since we had that much snow.
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When i can afford it i'll buy one of those small ATV type things with earth/snow moving attachment, so i can grade my dirt driveway too.
 
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feywon said:
ATV type things with earth/snow moving attachment
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I have one of those and a tractor. But am not very good at snow plowing with either.

Problem is we have a long gravel driveway and I end up either leaving a couple of inches that pack down into ice, or plowing a lot of gravel along with the snow...

Where I came from there ain't no snow to plow, never learned how I guess.
 
Alligatorob said:
I have one of those and a tractor. But am not very good at snow plowing with either.

Problem is we have a long gravel driveway and I end up either leaving a couple of inches that pack down into ice, or plowing a lot of gravel along with the snow...

Where I came from there ain't no snow to plow, never learned how I guess.
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That's a perk of having a woodstove, cold ashes are effective ice melt.
 
Alligatorob said:
I have one of those and a tractor. But am not very good at snow plowing with either. Problem is we have a long gravel driveway and I end up either leaving a couple of inches that pack down into ice, or plowing a lot of gravel along with the snow...

When I have to plow snow, I turn the blade backwards, and set it on a fairly sharp angle, and adjust the hydraulics to keep the blade about an inch above the gravel. That way, I don't shove a bunch of gravel to the side of the driveway. Plus, I have R4 tires on the tractor, which offer good traction without tearing up the drive. If the snow I leave behind freezes, the tractor tire "grooves" leave a path of good "knobs" which allows my 4WD truck to get up the driveway with no problems.
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Aunt Bea said:
IMO It's not a few days shoveling snow that kills you.

It's the years spent on the couch or in the recliner. ;)
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I am glad I live in an apartment but I used to be a home owner for nearly 4 decades. I remember reading about men getting heart attacks from shoveling snow. It seems it happens because shoveling snow is not something that they do everyday. I know that when the snow is wet and heavy or it is blown in and hard, you are really asking for trouble if you are a couch potato.
 
Like I told my son when he was talking about moving to Atlanta...they will start getting weather like we get up here. I can see that it's coming to fruition. And Atlanteans freak when they get an inch of snow. I remember the back ups for hours when it happened a few years ago. This article is from Jan 22nd:
https://news.yahoo.com/another-blast-dangerous-winter-weather-184352331.html
Video report:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/t...utheast-amid-freezing-temperatures/vi-AAT1YDB
I wouldn't be surprised if this is becomes normal winter weather for them. Miami was 34 degrees yesterday! So you may move and still have to shovel snow, not just as often maybe. Is there someone in your neighborhood you could pay to do it for you? If not, just take your time...don't do it all at once.
 

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