SafeTips
Snow Shoveling

When Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan looked at hospital emergency room admissions after a recent blizzard, the health insurer found that the number of people showing up with cardiac-related conditions skyrocketed by 59 percent during the first 24 hours of the storm. Why? People were shoveling snow.

Here are some things to keep in mind while shoveling snow:

• Dress in Layers -- Most people throw on a heavy coat, then quickly overheat once they've been at it a few minutes. This puts your heart under greater strain. Try wearing a shirt under a sweater under a light jacket, and strip off layers as you warm up.
• Drink Water -- Most people shovel snow in the morning when they're dehydrated. Dehydration also stresses the heart, so drink a couple of glasses of water about thirty minutes before you start tossing snow.
• Take it Slow -- Take a break every 5 or 10 minutes while you're working. And never let your heart rate exceed 85 percent of its maximum. To find out your maximum heart rate subtract your age from 220.
• Don't Ignore Chest Pain or Tightness -- If this kind of ache strikes assume the worst and call an ambulance or have someone drive you to an emergency room.

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