Snow Shoveling - Exercise or Health Risk
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I broke my ribs last winter shoveling snow. Operator error. I was running the snow shovel 90 mph down the driveway with the handle next to my ribs when I hit a large seam in the concrete. Handle caught and my ribs took the blow. It took months and months of recovery time and I still can't roll over on that side when I sleep. Lesson learned, don't hold the handle next to your belly or ribs for leverage. Snow shoveling is necessary in deep snow country or it turns into solid ice. Broken arms, wrists, ankles, back injuries, concussions. All of these things have happened to my relatives/neighbors in one way or another with snow season. You can get out of your car onto solid snow/ice and fall right under your car, crack your head. Snow is flat out a hazard on the interstate or driveway. Heart attacks and broken bones. 'Ok, campers. Rise and shine and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cold out there. It's cold out there every day.'6
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The same can be said for carrying in groceries, yet its a necessary task. Some people can't afford to pay others to shovel their snow, and unfortunately the job still needs to get done. As others have said, people need to know their limits and that is why its important to stay in shape and try to be as healthy as possible. I love shoveling snow, and do view it as exercise, but I also know I can't remove every bit of snow from the driveway in one scoop. I can just as easily hurt myself in the gym if I try to lift more than I am capable of, or if my form is poor.5
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So it seems to be snowing. Probably won't stick (not cold enough) but I am going to blame this thread.
Yeah, someone HAD to mention snow, and look what happens. The snow at my house this morning was SO heavy, it was dragging down tree branches and power lines. My power kept flickering on and off. That's the stuff they call "heart attack snow". When it does pile up, it's like shoveling concrete. And most snowblowers can't handle stuff that heavy.3 -
The same can be said for carrying in groceries, yet its a necessary task. Some people can't afford to pay others to shovel their snow, and unfortunately the job still needs to get done. As others have said, people need to know their limits and that is why its important to stay in shape and try to be as healthy as possible. I love shoveling snow, and do view it as exercise, but I also know I can't remove every bit of snow from the driveway in one scoop. I can just as easily hurt myself in the gym if I try to lift more than I am capable of, or if my form is poor.
Dang, I'd like for you to come over and shovel all of the snow. I'd view it as exercise craning my neck just watching you.
You're correct. I've been shoveling snow since I was a kid but I still have some lessons to learn. 0 -
Snow shoveling & me #2:
This is an approximation of the contour of driveway I HAD to shovel as a pre- and teen boy back in the day and why I will not go out of my way to shovel today and am so grateful for my current residence...FLAT!!! 😆0 -
nighthawk584 wrote: »psychod787 wrote: »I live in Florida... so unnecessary... is that an option.. lol
you still have to mow though. :-P
Very true! I live in southeast Texas and we have to mow, edge, and weed year-round.
ETA: I got a nastygram from my HOA one year about my unruly yard. It's was February.2 -
Mowing/leave raking: Hated it! As a boy, not so bad raking clippings yards were flat not a lot of leaves in fall, then we moved...to a home located on a hill, with hilly yards; tree covered hilly yards; tree covered hilly yards strewn with all manner of sticks, leaves, rocks and dirt (areas that grass could never grow); tree covered hilly yards strewn with all manner of sticks, leaves, rocks and dirt with parents unwilling, if unable to pay for lawn care when they had young and healthy if not totally unwilling to do boys living in their house available to do it 😒
Today, I live in and apartment complex and all that's done by contractors 😁2 -
I don’t rake leaves I just cover them with shoveled snow3
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Snow blower for the win! 😁
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nighthawk584 wrote: »Considering last year at this time I was around 80 lbs heavier, snow shoveling should be a breeze and my ticker shouldn't be in so much stress this year! Now watch, I slip and fall and break my neck! Living is a risk.
Not sure if you're aware of Microspikes and Yak Trax, these are like snow chains for your shoes. They go on and off quickly, and give you a lot of purchase on slippery ice. Not terribly expense, especially compared to medical bills.
They're also useful for hiking.10 -
Actually we don’t want to hear about it 😁psychod787 wrote: »I live in Florida... so unnecessary... is that an option.. lol
I lived in NY many moons ago, and I hated shoveling snow, but I also hated the winter and the cold. So I moved... I am now in the California desert, so you probably don't want to hear from me either...
Happy shoveling!4 -
I consider shoveling to be GREAT exercise. Although I swim, bike & run normally. I just limit myself to 15-20 minutes of shoveling and take an elongated rest. Repeat until the driveway is clear.3
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Actually we don’t want to hear about it 😁psychod787 wrote: »I live in Florida... so unnecessary... is that an option.. lol
I lived in NY many moons ago, and I hated shoveling snow, but I also hated the winter and the cold. So I moved... I am now in the California desert, so you probably don't want to hear from me either...
Happy shoveling!
I couldn't live in a place without seasons. But California has them too, there's fire season, earthquake season, riot session, and looting season.
I can't wait for the snow, you'll find be skiing. ⛷️12 -
That sounds like a good idea. Normally I just want to get it over with so it’s go go go but I’m going to have to give this a try...I consider shoveling to be GREAT exercise. Although I swim, bike & run normally. I just limit myself to 15-20 minutes of shoveling and take an elongated rest. Repeat until the driveway is clear.
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NorthCascades wrote: »
Actually we don’t want to hear about it 😁psychod787 wrote: »I live in Florida... so unnecessary... is that an option.. lol
I lived in NY many moons ago, and I hated shoveling snow, but I also hated the winter and the cold. So I moved... I am now in the California desert, so you probably don't want to hear from me either...
Happy shoveling!
I couldn't live in a place without seasons. But California has them too, there's fire season, earthquake season, riot session, and looting season.
I can't wait for the snow, you'll find be skiing. ⛷️
I think that the cold weather made you a little bit snarky...Many places in the great USA have also fires, looting, murders, hurricanes, flooding, etc...enjoy your skiing while I work in my garden.1 -
Lol I remember days past when I actually enjoyed winter but the older I get the more 120 for a couple months a year just might be worth it...I lived in NY many moons ago, and I hated shoveling snow, but I also hated the winter and the cold. So I moved... I am now in the California desert, so you probably don't want to hear from me either...
Happy shoveling!
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On the rare occasion, I've earned well over 1000 calories in one episode of driveway shoveling (something in excess of 4 hours, working along right steady). I'm calling that exercise.
And eating up every calorie, besides.
There's more driveway behind where I'm standing to take the photo, and it curves around across the front of the house (long side of a 1953 ranch house), then back out to the road again. It's a capital-D Driveway. And I'm a li'l ol' lady, age 63.
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NorthCascades wrote: »
Actually we don’t want to hear about it 😁psychod787 wrote: »I live in Florida... so unnecessary... is that an option.. lol
I lived in NY many moons ago, and I hated shoveling snow, but I also hated the winter and the cold. So I moved... I am now in the California desert, so you probably don't want to hear from me either...
Happy shoveling!
I couldn't live in a place without seasons. But California has them too, there's fire season, earthquake season, riot session, and looting season.
I can't wait for the snow, you'll find be skiing. ⛷️
I think that the cold weather made you a little bit snarky...Many places in the great USA have also fires, looting, murders, hurricanes, flooding, etc...enjoy your skiing while I work in my garden.
Meant as humor, not snark. 🙂6 -
It looks like you missed a spot...On the rare occasion, I've earned well over 1000 calories in one episode of driveway shoveling (something in excess of 4 hours, working along right steady). I'm calling that exercise. And eating up every calorie, besides.
There's more driveway behind where I'm standing to take the photo, and it curves around across the front of the house (long side of a 1953 ranch house), then back out to the road again. It's a capital-D Driveway. And I'm a li'l ol' lady, age 63.
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I shoveled my work truck out last year... now that was a workout. 😊6 -
When I was a kid my next door neighbor died shoveling his driveway. Now that I’m an adult I think of that during winter.
We got our first snow 2 days ago. Not ready for this yet!!!3 -
kosseychick wrote: »
I shoveled my work truck out last year... now that was a workout. 😊
I see what you did there.2 -
Snow blower? pshaw. Snow thrower FTW...
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Not to be too serious, but here are the risks involved with shoveling snow (i.e. factors that put more load on the heart):
Upright posture
Cold temperature
High intensity activity
Sudden onset of high intensity (change of activity from sedentary to high exertion w/little or no warmup)
Higher proportion of upper body/arm work
Frequent Valsalva maneuvers (exertion with breath holding)
For someone with no underlying heart disease, these factors, while adding to the overall strenuousness of the activity, are not threatening.
For those with heart disease (and many people have heart disease and don't know it), the effect can be lethal.
Best advice for older, sedentary people: have someone else do it.
Second best advice: buy a snowblower
Third best advice: Start slowly with small amounts and warm up a little; in general, try to move smaller amounts of snow with each shovel; push as much as possible w/out actually lifting and throwing the snow;7 -
I enjoy shoveling snow...but it's kind of a novelty since we only get maybe one or two storms per year blow through town that drop enough snow to warrant shoveling...even then, it's usually no more than a couple of inches.
Love where I live though...we get seasons and plenty of snow in the mountains and northern part of the state...I can hit the slopes in the morning and the links in the afternoon.2 -
The naysayers are going about this all wrong:
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I enjoy shoveling snow...but it's kind of a novelty since we only get maybe one or two storms per year blow through town that drop enough snow to warrant shoveling...even then, it's usually no more than a couple of inches.
Love where I live though...we get seasons and plenty of snow in the mountains and northern part of the state...I can hit the slopes in the morning and the links in the afternoon.
Weather is so weird. I'm at 47* N and we get snow (in town) every 2 or 3 years.0
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