MILWAUKEE — The American Heart Association says hundreds of people die from heart attacks each year after shoveling snow.
In fact, it's common enough that meteorologists at TMJ4 actually use the term "heart attack snow" when talking about dense, heavy snow.
"Heart attack snow is a dense, heavy, slushy slop to put it in layman's terms. It's much wetter than the dry powdering snow that we get," Meteorologist Brendan Johnson said. He added that it's much denser, making it much heavier.
"Three inches of sleet is going to be a lot heavier than snow because there's less air between ice than snowflakes," said meteorologist Marisa Woloszyn.
This density and heaviness can lead to overexertion when shoveling, ultimately leading to a heart attack.
"Shoveling a little snow off your sidewalk may not seem like hard work. However, the strain of heavy snow shoveling may be as or even more demanding on the heart than taking a treadmill stress test, according to research we’ve conducted," said Barry Franklin, a long-time American Heart Association volunteer, according to their report.
A statement from the American Heart Association in 2020 says snow shoveling can put extra stress on the heart, especially for those who aren't used to exercise.
The organization said numerous studies identified the dangers of shoveling snow for both people with and without previously known heart disease.
How to prevent a heart attack when shoveling snow
According to Healthline, there are several steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of having a heart attack while shoveling.
Some ideas include warming up before shoveling, taking part in regular physical activity, pushing the snow rather than picking it up and throwing it, and doing a cool down when you're done shoveling.
You should especially consider taking these steps if you don't take part in some form of physical activity regularly.