Safety tips for shoveling snow

How to safely shovel snow.

Shoveling snow can be great exercise. It can also be dangerous.

Shoveling snow is an unavoidable chore for people in snow-prone areas, but if you’re not careful, you could end up seriously injured, or worse.

In early December 2024, two people died from heart attacks while shoveling snow in upstate New York. According to the American Heart Association, it’s not an uncommon occurrence, especially for people who don’t exercise.

Why do people have heart attacks while shoveling snow?

The American Heart Association says snow shoveling is different than other forms of exercise for the following reasons:

Snow shoveling involves mostly Isometric or static exertion that involves the contraction of muscles without any movement in the surrounding joints.
The act of shoveling snow is mostly arm work, which is more taxing and demanding on the heart than leg work.
While straining to lift heavy loads, such a shovelful of snow, you often unconsciously hold your breath, which causes big increases in heart rate and blood pressure.
Since you are mostly standing still while shoveling, your legs are not moving much, which results in pooling of blood in the lower extremities, so it is not getting back to the heart which needs the oxygenated blood.
Breathing/exposure to cold air causes constriction of blood vessels throughout the body, disproportionately raising blood pressure and simultaneously constricting the coronary arteries (which are about the size of cooked spaghetti).

How to safely shovel snow

Here are some tips on how to safely shovel snow:

If you have a history of heart disease, talk to your doctor before shoveling snow.
Know the signs of a heart attack before you begin.
Apply deicer or rock salt to your sidewalk and steps before the storm arrives. This will make clearing snow and ice easier after the storm ends.
Do not shovel after eating or while smoking.
Stretch before you start.
Shovel only fresh, powdery snow.
Push the snow rather than lift it.
If you do lift it, use a small shovel or only partially fill the shovel, and lift with your legs, not your back.