How to Protect Your Heart When Doing House Work

It has become a tragic reality many times when a winter snow storm strikes.

We hear it on the news that someone has died while shoveling.

With our recent warm spell, now is a good time to be thinking about whether or not you're in shape to shovel snow and do other house work.

Dr. Christina Crumbliss from Aurora Health Care was a special live guest on the CBS 58 News at 4 offering some basic tips.

Here's the list:
·    Warm up. Make sure you warm up your muscles before heading out. Do a couple side bends and walk in place to get the blood flowing.
·    If possible, push the snow rather than lift it. If you do have to lift the snow, lift with your legs, not your back.
·    Choose your shovel carefully. Ergonomically-designed shovels help reduce the amount of bending you have to do, and help distribute the weight of the snow.
·    Take breaks. Pace yourself and take a break after 20 minutes of shoveling, especially when it's heavy snow. Also consider shoveling multiple times throughout the storm to avoid having to move large amounts of snow at once. 
·    Dress in layers. Be sure to dress in layers and remove them as you get warm so you can maintain a comfortable body temperature. 
·    Stay hydrated. Most people forget about this when the weather turns cold, but like any workout, you need to drink while you are exerting yourself to stay hydrated. 

Dr. Crumbliss also talked about the warning signs of cardiac arrest.

We've attached her interview to this story.