The Heart and Stroke Foundation (HSF) is urging people to exercise caution now that the snow has arrived in Saskatchewan and looks like it's here to stay.
Although physical activity in all forms is desirable and protects against heart disease, sudden stressful exercise such as shoveling heavy snow, can be too much for people with underlying heart disease.
"For most people, regular moderate physical activity can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke," says HSF CEO Lorie Langenfurth. "Shovelling can be a healthy part of your regular winter schedule, as long as it's carried out following a few rules and using some common sense."
Sudden strenuous physical activity can push the heart, and as the heart beats faster under the pressures of vigorous exercise the shape of the vessels change. Studies show that in most people who have had a cardiac event while shovelling snow or carrying out some other form of vigorous physical activity, the plaque inside their blood vessels has ruptured.
Shovelling, digging out cars or walking through deep snow can cause overexertion and although it doesn't seem like it, shovelling snow is the equivalent of a vigorous exercise class.
HSF advises Canadians with known heart or blood vessel disease, to check with their doctor before shovelling.
