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Just be wary as you get older. The number of old men who die from heart attacks while shoveling snow is nonzero
by Neywiny 11mo ago
Just be wary as you get older. The number of old men who die from heart attacks while shoveling snow is nonzero
- workfromspace 11mo agoIsn't "number of old men who die from heart attacks while doing anything is non zero"?
- macintux 11mo agoShoveling snow is a well-established high risk factor for older adults.
- njarboe 11mo agoFor fat people, getting over heated when doing things is generally the limiting factor on how strenuous one can push the body. In the cold you can exercise a lot harder before you get too hot, so the person can stress the body more than they usually would.
- deleted 11mo ago[deleted]
- phil21 11mo agoIt’s the going from zero to 100 that gets folks it seems. Deep, heavy, wet snow is called heart attack snow for a reason. It sneaks up on you - a driveway you just cleared for years with normal snowfalls is all of a sudden a 10x workout from usual, and your brain doesn’t completely process this. Anything else at that level of intensity would likely trigger you to take breaks. That said - I think inactivity is far worse. But I still make a point to go shovel my elderly neighbors walks here in Chicago before they have a chance to do it when we get particularly deep snowfalls.
- unyttigfjelltol 11mo agoIn the cold. The exercise-plus-hypothermia combo is a bad one. Pick one, not both.[1] [1] https://shine365.marshfieldclinic.org/heart-care/prevent-hypothermia-heart-attacks-in-cold-weather/ https://shine365.marshfieldclinic.org/heart-care/prevent-hyp...
- hermitcrab 11mo agoThe number of old men who die from doing no exercize is also quite high.
- thunderfork 11mo agoMy grandfather was a farmer and scarcely went a day without hours of exercise in his life. He passed away after a heart attack while shoveling his paraplegic neighbor's driveway. You don't have to be unfit to get done in by shoveling snow.
- hermitcrab 11mo agoIt doesn't snow much where I live. Why is shovelling snow so deadly? Don't people stop for a rest when they get tired?
- massysett 11mo agoPhysically it is very taxing. Snow is heavy, and the movements aren’t typical of daily activity. Even for a modestly sized property it can take awhile.
- op00to 11mo agoI think it’s a combination of incredible weight, lots of aerobic activity, and the cold which masks some of the fatigue that might tell you to take a break. I am over 40, and over an inch or two just pay someone to deal with the snow.
- deleted 11mo ago[deleted]
- bigstrat2003 11mo agoSnow can be very heavy depending on the water content. So sometimes it's really light and basically effortless to shovel, but sometimes each shovel full of snow is 10-20 pounds of weight that you have to throw over and over. That gets taxing very quickly, plus people don't generally warm up before doing this intense exercise. It's not like shoveling snow is super dangerous. Most people don't die from shoveling the snow. But it can happen and it's worth slowing down and taking breaks.
- bjt 11mo agoMy ninth grade English teacher never made it back from Christmas break because of this.