Phew, it’s a very good job I wasn’t planning on doing any of that, ever.
Stop shovelling. Right now. Stop it. It’s bad for you. Not only is it absolutely no fun at all, but you could die. You could actually die, according to a man who the BBC have called an “an expert in the field of dangerous snow removal”, therefore joining Homer Simpson as Mr.Plow and footballer Steven Taylor as the only people who can hold claim to that very specific area of expertise.
On a serious note, cardiologist Barry Franklin, who is director of preventative cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation at William Beaumont Hospital, Michigan, has stated that he believes hundreds of deaths are caused by snow-shovelling in the US every year because people don’t realise just how strenuous it can be on the heart. There is currently around 100 reported deaths per year, but Franklin believes the true figure to be at least double.
Image credit GettyAccording to his team of researchers, the heart rate and blood pressure increases more in healthy young men when they are shovelling snow compared to when they are running on a treadmill. This, combined with the cold air, causes arteries to constrict and decreases blood supply, which can lead to unforeseen heart problems.
Franklin believes that shovelling snow is so taxing that people who are overweight, smoke or over the age of 55 shouldn’t be doing it at all. “People at greatest risk are those who are habitually sedentary with known or suspected coronary disease, who go out once a year to clear snow” he added.
So there you have it. To snowballs say yes. To snowmen say yes. To shovelling or any difficult manual labour, as always, say no and stay indoors with your feet up.
