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Shoveling driveways is a chore, and one we all thought we wouldn’t be doing for some time. But alas, Mother Nature had another idea.
With health issues, the chore can be more than just that—in rare cases, it's fatal. But as Dr. Ronald Krone, a Washington University cardiologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, says, the times we do hear about someone fainting or having a heart attack while shoveling his or her driveway puts us on high alert. Here is how to know when to stop—or if you should even be shoveling at all.
Clearing the driveway can put "too much pressure and too much demand" on our bodies, like any other physical activity. "You are at some risk with snow shoveling." Specifically, Krone says, "arm work particularly is a problem because when you use your arms, your blood pressure tends to go up, and your heart rate tends to go up—more so even than if you're walking or doing aerobic legwork."
Krone recommends making the motion of screwing in a light bulb above your head as a way to see if your body can handle the work. Tasks like this add a little extra stress to the body.
He adds: "You need to consider how you're doing during the exercise. First of all, do you have any underlying heart issues?"
Krone says if you have a history of high blood pressure, history of coronary artery disease, or have had bypass surgery, you have the potential for some lesion or some narrowing that may not have been a problem except under circumstances like this. So you are potentially at risk, and you have to be careful.
Krone also advises to be cautious breathing in the cold air because it can literally take your breath away, especially for those with breathing conditions like asthma. He notes that our most recent snowfall wasn't too cold, "but some days it's under freezing, and you should wear a muffler or something over your face so when you're breathing, you're not breathing in the cold air. You're warming the air, and that will limit the constriction."
Listen to your body, he says. "If your heart rate is too fast or you're getting short of breath, don't try to finish the job. Just stop and let yourself calm down, let your pressure come down, let your heart rate get back to where it should be, and then go back to do the shoveling. But don't try to finish the job all at once."
The best thing, he says, is to do little by little, rest, and do some more. Then rest again. While you may think it will take longer this way, you'll spend just as much time resting had you risked your health finishing the driveway all in one go.
Ultimately: Know your body. If you start having chest discomfort or shortness of breath, stop immediately. Also, be honest with yourself. If you have a history of health issues and/or don't get the recommended amount of exercise, maybe opt out of shoveling your own driveway.
Which leads to another point: If you know you're capable of shoveling your driveway, check on your neighbors who might not be able to shovel theirs.
