Give ticker a breather

Before you tackle that mountain of snow outside, a word of caution.

Take it easy.

After almost a year of living under pandemic restrictions, quite a few of us have put on more than a few pounds.

And lockdowns and other restrictions, including temporary gym closures, have meant a lot of us have also been increasingly inactive.

Inactivity is known to hurt our health and immune systems.

In short, many people aren’t in ideal shape to suddenly dive into strenuous efforts to quickly heave aside shovelfuls of the white stuff.

So, if you’ve got underlying health issues, especially cardiac problems, be smart and get someone else to clear that path and driveway.

Repeatedly lifting and tossing shovelfuls of snow, particularly if wet, can be exhausting. In clearing a driveway, you can be moving literally hundreds of pounds.

Many studies have shown that heart attacks tend to spike after snowstorms, especially for men.

A Canadian study done in Quebec a few years ago said shovelling snow was a demanding workout that could demand more than 75 per cent of a person’s maximum heart rate.

Experts say colder temperatures can constrict blood vessels, increasing blood pressure, and heighten the risk of blood clots.

Beyond heart problems, shovelling — especially for anyone not used to vigorous exercise — can also play havoc with the human body, including twisted ankles and knees, torn muscles and ligaments, back injuries and other assorted painful conditions.

We’ve been relatively lucky so far this winter. The Atlantic provinces have largely ducked major snowfalls.

Yes, there’s been the occasional storm. But relatively mild temperatures at other times have made the sight of bare ground — including green grass — commonplace.

Until this week, of course.

That’s when most of our region got blasted with deep, heavy snows.

Starting on the weekend, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, the southern portion of New Brunswick and then Newfoundland and Labrador were lashed with strong winds and left with hefty snow accumulations.

On Monday, Halifax Fire crews handled four heart attack calls, three directly related to shovelling.

The department took to social media to urge people to slow down and, if not feeling well, to call 911 if they thought they might need help.

That’s good advice, no matter where in the region you live.

Other tips include moving more lighter loads rather than big, heavier shovelfuls, taking frequent breaks and drinking lots of fluids.

And remember, you’re not cleaning the bathroom for company; you’re just trying to make the path and driveway passable.