For many, winter snow conjures images of sledding and hot cocoa. But beneath the beauty of the frosty landscape lies a hidden danger…shoveling snow. While snow removal may seem like a mundane chore, it can pose significant threats to cardiovascular health, particularly for people who are sedentary or with preexisting health conditions.
Shoveling snow is a physically demanding activity that requires considerable exertion, especially when dealing with layers of heavy, wet snow. The repetitive lifting and twisting motions involved in shoveling can put serious strain on the heart and cardiovascular system. For individuals who are not accustomed to regular exercise or who have underlying heart conditions, this burst of intense physical activity can trigger adverse cardiac events.
Simply being out in the cold is already setting the stage for possible heart trouble. Cold temperatures increase your blood pressure and constrict your blood vessels, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood throughout your body. When you add in the physical strain of lifting a shovel full of snow and tossing it to the side, you have a prescription for several serious heart incidents.
The nature of shoveling snow also contributes to heart attack or stroke risk. Unlike many other types of physical activity or exercise, snow shoveling primarily uses the arms. Strenuous activity involving the arms, as opposed to the legs, places a greater burden on the heart, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). And standing in one place without much leg movement means blood tends to pool in the legs and feet, rather than circulating through the heart and lungs to keep oxygenated blood flowing throughout the body. The AHA also notes that while straining to lift heavy loads, most people often unconsciously hold their breath, which causes big increases in heart rate and blood pressure.
A major study looking at snow removal related medical emergencies treated in the United States between 1990 and 2006 identified about 11,500 shoveling injuries over the 17 year span and cardiovascular events accounted for half of the hospitalizations and 100 percent of the deaths. Individuals who are more likely to have a cardiac event due to shoveling are generally 45 or older and have known heart disease. People at higher risk include those who have had a heart attack, angioplasty, bypass surgery and those who have experienced angina (chest pain). Other factors that raise the risk are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and cigarette smoking. Studies also show that men are more likely to be affected.
Luckily, there are several things that a person can do to help prevent cardiac events when shoveling snow:
1. Avoid shoveling right after eating because blood pressure rises while the body is working to digest and metabolize the food that was just eaten.
2. Wear layers appropriate for the temperature. Try to keep your mouth and nose covered to lessen the exposure to cold air. Only remove layers if you’re getting too warm.
3. Push the snow instead of lifting it. This puts less strain on the cardiovascular system.
4. Use a small shovel and don’t fill it all the way. Also, use shovels made from lighter materials instead of metal. Lighter is better for the heart and muscles.
5. Break up the shoveling into smaller sessions and take breaks as needed. This prevents overexposure to the cold and also lessens the chance of overexertion.
6. Use an automated snow blower. While there is still the potential for a cardiac event, studies show that it is lower when not directly shoveling the snow.
7. If you have a history of heart problems or have been diagnosed with heart disease, consider incorporating acupuncture and East Asian Medicine (EAM) into your regular health routine.
Acupuncture taps into the body’s natural systems for regulating heart rate, blood pressure and overall cardiovascular balance. Signals from acupuncture needles travel through peripheral nerves, then up to regions like the brainstem and hypothalamus, where they can modulate the activity of neurons responsible for controlling blood vessel tone, heart contractions and sympathetic drive. This means that when the body’s stress response is too high, acupuncture can encourage a shift toward relaxation by dampening the signals that elevate blood pressure or increase heart rate.
At the same time, acupuncture supports the descending pathways that optimize heart function and circulation. These regulatory networks can boost parasympathetic activity, often linked to the vagus nerve, which helps slow the heart rate and ease vascular tension. Through these feedback loops, acupuncture aligns both the messages going up to the brain and those coming back down to the heart, resulting in a balanced cardiovascular response that combats hypertension, stabilizes rhythms and reduces cardiac strain.
Studies show that the time around the winter solstice (usually December 21st), is one of the most common times for people to start experiencing cardiovascular symptom flares. Symptoms like chest pain (angina), shortness of breath, fatigue and palpitations all have a tendency to become more pronounced during this time. Part of that is the added stress of the holidays, but for many areas of the country, it is also related to the weather getting colder.
East Asian Medicine has always followed seasonal cues to help align the body with the environment. And while this medical system is thousands of years old, the advice is still warranted.
1. Stay warm, especially the neck, back, chest and feet. As winter sets in, our bodies need added warmth to compensate for environmental temperatures. The areas listed are the most common spots where cold can enter and lead to problems.
2. Avoid cold / raw foods, as much as possible. In EAM, eating cold foods is frequently frowned upon, but even more so during the colder winter months. For digestion and circulation to remain optimal, the gastrointestinal and the cardiovascular systems need warmth. This is why soups, stews and cooked meals are always preferred. If you do eat something cold, be sure to balance it with a cup of hot tea afterwards.
3. Keep your circulation going. This is pretty easy for most people and just requires a little movement. This can be as simple as walking around your house, doing some gentle yoga or engaging in a daily tai chi or qigong session. Even in the coldest months, your body needs movement.
4. Listen to your body and rest when it is warranted. While it seems contradictory to the aforementioned recommendation, it really isn’t. We just have to pay close attention to the signals our body is giving. If you’re feeling fatigued, you can still do some light yoga or stretching, while making sure that you get enough rest. Many people just push through and end up getting sick or having a major health event. This is worse around the holidays and ultimately, you just have to listen to your body.
Utilizing regular acupuncture treatments, along with other lifestyle modifications can greatly improve the strength of the cardiovascular system. This can help you prepare for whatever the winter months throw your way. The other recommendations regarding snow shoveling should still be followed, but by adding acupuncture and the other EAM suggestions into your health care plan, you might be able to avoid severe cardiovascular events when and if you do need to shovel some snow.