Shoveling Snow

Suburban living has certain advantages over apartment living in the city, but shoveling snow isn't one of them, at least according to the grousing in the steam room at the gym this morning. It always strikes me absurd how middle-age men will complain endlessly about things like shoveling their walk and driveway, but will dress up like candy canes and wear their de rigueur $200 shoes and heart monitors to sweat in a spinning class. And the silent majority keeps their comments to themselves since they just pay someone else to do it.

Perhaps it's my family's agrarian roots, but shoveling snow is just one of many outdoor chores like mowing, raking, weeding and pruning, that offer natural, zen-like rewards and have the extra bonus of being good exercise that helps balance the hours spent inside in a chair before a keyboard and monitor. Why wouldn't you?

But, according to a recent Washington Post article, Should you shovel snow?, many Americans, for one reason or another, shouldn't. The fact that the only rationale for shoveling your own snow (gasp, it's good exercise!) comes in the article's final paragraph speaks volumes.

“Shoveling snow is a significant physical effort,” said John G. Harrald, president of the American College of Cardiology. “Patients who have known coronary artery disease under management and treatment are obviously a group that would be advised not to shovel snow.”

A second group consists of people with a variety of risk factors but no history of coronary disease. Smokers, anyone with a strong family history of heart disease and those with high blood pressure are some examples, Harold said. If you fit those categories and are middle-aged or older, take particular caution, he said. Across the population, more heart attacks occur in winter than in summer.

If you do get out there, watch for symptoms of heart difficulties: unexpected chest tightness, shortness of breath, and pain or burning in the chest, jaw or shoulder, Harold said. Do not assume that a strange muscular pain is due to exertion. Symptoms of a heart attack include pain referred to other parts of the body.

“It’s all about common sense and logic, and when you sense something is going wrong, don’t force yourself through it,” he said.

Speaking of forcing: In 2012, 34,200 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms for snow-removal-related injuries, said Claudette Lajam, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center’s Hospital for Joint Diseases.

The most common, not surprisingly, are musculoskeletal strains, especially to the lower back, shoulders and knees.

Lajam’s advice: Warm up and stretch a bit indoors before layering up and heading out to shovel. Push the snow instead of lifting it, and don’t twist to throw it. Use a smaller shovel to keep the load down. Practice proper lifting technique: Squat with legs apart and back straight. Pace yourself and take breaks. Don’t get dehydrated.

“A lot of people aren’t in great shape . . . and instead of your muscles taking on the weight of the snow, the burden of the task is taken on by the bones,” she said. Disks in the spine also take a beating on days like today, she said.

All that considered, shoveling is actually an excellent workout if done properly. According to a 1999 surgeon general’s report, 15 minutes of snow-shoveling qualifies as a “moderate amount of physical activity,” the kind the government wants you to do nearly each day."

The government? Great, does that mean my snow shovel is tapped?