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> The context is that many people pick up a shovel and do maximum effort despite living a sedentary life. This. Shoveling after last week's storm was definite

> The context is that many people pick up a shovel and do maximum effort despite living a sedentary life. This. Shoveling after last week's storm was definitely the most concerted exercise I've had in a year or more. I definitely felt at one point that my heart was working way too hard (for whatever physiological reason; likely those outlined in the article) and forced myself to rest a few minutes, despite not being physically exhausted. And I'm neither overweight nor have high blood pressure.

FLUX-YOU 9y ago
Did you do warmups before shoveling snow? I can't imagine going outside and doing that in cold weather with cold muscles.
- colanderman 9y ago
  Nope, didn't even know this was a thing! That's why the passage I quoted rings so true to me. I lead a sedentary life all year and then one day, with no preparation whatsoever, dive headlong into strenuous exercise in adverse conditions for an hour plus.
- choward 9y ago
  > Did you do warmups before shoveling snow? Seriously? Who does this?
  - FLUX-YOU 9y ago
    Shoveling snow is obviously exercise. Does it seem weird to you that people warm up before lifting or running?
    - choward 9y ago
      No. Neither does it to the average person. I'm just saying doing a warmup before chores is not something that's common practice. Maybe it should be, but you can't just assume it is because it seems like the right thing to do that it's common knowledge.
    - astura 9y ago
      Is there evidence that a warm-up is beneficial or is it something we do because it "seems right?" I don't know the answer to this. Either way, I don't personally warm up, I don't notice a difference between warming up vs not warming up.
  - mikestew 9y ago
    I do. I do it by starting with little tiny shovels of snow, working my way up to a full load. What, you want me to have a heart attack?
betenoire 9y ago
I don't remember seeing this in the article, but overheating is a problem too. I know enough now to not bother bundling up, but I remember getting quickly overheated when I first moved to a snow area and started shoveling.
phicoh 9y ago
A high heart rate can be caused by lactate acid. Basically what happens is that you are using muscles beyond what they can sustain. In particular, beyond what the blood flow to those muscles can provide oxygen for. You get into anaerobic exercise, even though you are not working particularly hard overall. This results in lactate acid reaching the blood stream. For some reason, the human body confuses that with CO2 and makes both respiration and heart rate go up to get rid of it. Which doesn't work. But the heart can use lactate as fuel and the situation will soon be normal again.
wrycoder 9y ago
I think many grab a 16 inch plastic shovel and pick up a much snow as it will hold. That’s a good way to do yourself in, literally and figuratively. If it snows five inches, I’ll typically take it in three lifts. I go slow and take a break once an hour, more often if it’s in the teens like lately. For old and heavy snow, like the berm the town plow leaves across my drive, I’ll switch to a nine inch aluminum shovel. Or, haul out the Ariens 12 hp snowthrower. It’s a lot faster, but horsing it around is no picnic either. The main thing is to take it easy!

FLUX-YOU 9y ago

Did you do warmups before shoveling snow? I can't imagine going outside and doing that in cold weather with cold muscles.

colanderman 9y ago
Nope, didn't even know this was a thing! That's why the passage I quoted rings so true to me. I lead a sedentary life all year and then one day, with no preparation whatsoever, dive headlong into strenuous exercise in adverse conditions for an hour plus.
choward 9y ago
> Did you do warmups before shoveling snow? Seriously? Who does this?
- FLUX-YOU 9y ago
  Shoveling snow is obviously exercise. Does it seem weird to you that people warm up before lifting or running?
  - choward 9y ago
    No. Neither does it to the average person. I'm just saying doing a warmup before chores is not something that's common practice. Maybe it should be, but you can't just assume it is because it seems like the right thing to do that it's common knowledge.
  - astura 9y ago
    Is there evidence that a warm-up is beneficial or is it something we do because it "seems right?" I don't know the answer to this. Either way, I don't personally warm up, I don't notice a difference between warming up vs not warming up.
- mikestew 9y ago
  I do. I do it by starting with little tiny shovels of snow, working my way up to a full load. What, you want me to have a heart attack?

betenoire 9y ago

I don't remember seeing this in the article, but overheating is a problem too. I know enough now to not bother bundling up, but I remember getting quickly overheated when I first moved to a snow area and started shoveling.

phicoh 9y ago

A high heart rate can be caused by lactate acid. Basically what happens is that you are using muscles beyond what they can sustain. In particular, beyond what the blood flow to those muscles can provide oxygen for. You get into anaerobic exercise, even though you are not working particularly hard overall. This results in lactate acid reaching the blood stream. For some reason, the human body confuses that with CO2 and makes both respiration and heart rate go up to get rid of it. Which doesn't work. But the heart can use lactate as fuel and the situation will soon be normal again.

wrycoder 9y ago

I think many grab a 16 inch plastic shovel and pick up a much snow as it will hold. That’s a good way to do yourself in, literally and figuratively. If it snows five inches, I’ll typically take it in three lifts. I go slow and take a break once an hour, more often if it’s in the teens like lately. For old and heavy snow, like the berm the town plow leaves across my drive, I’ll switch to a nine inch aluminum shovel. Or, haul out the Ariens 12 hp snowthrower. It’s a lot faster, but horsing it around is no picnic either. The main thing is to take it easy!