If you’ve been looking for an excuse to get a new snow blower or hire out the work of shoveling snow this winter, look no further as a new report has highlighted several risks connected to shoveling snow.
The report from Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital in Michigan reveals increased risk of heart attack in men who pair a sedentary lifestyle with intense snow shoveling.
“Snow shoveling can create the perfect storm of simultaneous cardiovascular stressors,” Dr. Barry Franklin, the lead author of the analysis, said. “Our previous research and recent review show that this common winter activity can place extraordinary demands on the heart, particularly for men who may be habitually sedentary and have underlying cardiovascular disease.”
Dr. Franklin, who is also the director emeritus of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Preventive Cardiology, shared that the analysis looked into the physical demands that snow shoveling has on a person and how during major snow storms there is an increase in heart attacks and cardiac death.
The findings from the researchers will be published in the March 2025 issue of the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, offering new safety guidelines for winter snow removal.
What else did the report find?
According to researchers, just 10 minutes of heavy snow shoveling exceeds current recommended exercise intensity limits. The amount of stress put on a person was found to average 97% of the maximum heart rate attained during treadmill testing.
The analysis also found that after two heavy snowfalls in the Detroit area, there were 36 sudden cardiac deaths that were the result of snow removal and 33 of those who died were men.
The researchers note that the “combination of exposure to cold air and physical exertion can significantly increase heart rate and blood pressure while simultaneously reducing blood flow to the heart.”
Among the other factors that were found to put a significant demand on the heart included working in an upright posture, holding your breath while straining, and shoveling in the early morning, a time of day previously found to have a heightened risk for heart attack.
While the analysis highlights the risk that shoveling snow can bring to those who are sedentary, especially men, it does offer some options to reduce the risk and remove snow safer.
The report says you should avoid manual snow shoveling if you are “habitually” sedentary; opt for a snow blower if possible; push snow instead of lifting it; take breaks frequently; wear a scarf and hat; avoid tobacco, alcohol or heavy meals before shoveling; and stop shoveling if “you experience chest discomfort, unusual shortness of breath, lightheadedness or nausea.”