Wouldn't We All Love To Be In Florida Right Now Instead of Shoveling Snow!

Somebody please remind me… why do we live in New England? I forgot the reason… maybe I don't remember why because it's like 0 degree temperatures outside right now. Maybe it's because we warm up for a day, go back to severe cold weather, then warm up again, then the snow melts, then we get extreme cold, then we get snow again, then it warms up again, then back to freezing cold! I guess there's a lot of good reasons to live in New England… I just can't think of them right now!

I thought I would offer some tips on shoveling snow and staying warm. Remember to take it easy when shoveling. Every now and then we hear of people having heart attacks while shoveling snow. According to the American Heart Association, those that are at risk are people who are in poor physical condition, or those with existing heart disease or a personal history of stroke. We also have the danger of the extreme cold weather.

Here are some ideas I've heard from different news sources that might be helpful. A lot of these tips are common sense, but people need to be reminded!

1. Make sure you dress warmly outside. Dress in layers and keep covered from head to toe. You do not want the risk hypothermia!

2. Do not lift snow that's too heavy. It's better to lift smaller amounts of snow. No need to injure yourself!

3. Lift with the knees. You don't want to hurt your back. 

4. Take frequent breaks inside. If you find yourself in a state of confusion, it's time to get inside immediately.

5. Don't eat a heavy meal before shoveling. The heavy meal puts extra stress on your body when your shoveling a lot of snow.

6. Don't drink alcohol before shoveling. The American Heart Association says that alcohol may increase a person’s sensation of warmth and may cause them to underestimate the extra strain their body is under in the cold.

7. If possible, you can push the snow away instead of lifting it.

8. Stand up straight and walk around every once in a while to extend the lower back.

9. Remember that if it's too cold for you, the same is true for your pets.

10. Lastly, you might want to consider hiring someone to shovel the snow if you are not in the best shape. It would be money well spent!

Hope you all stay safe and warm! At least we warm up by Sunday. Oh, but wait a minute, after that it's back to the frigid cold again! I guess I have to keep reminding myself, there are some benefits to this weather… by shoveling snow, you can burn up to 408 calories per hour on average.