Snow, cold air and sudden heavy exertion can be a risky combo for the heart, especially for middle-aged and older adults, and this article lays out what the latest clinical warnings and expert quotes mean for anyone who faces a driveway full of white stuff this winter.
A 2025 review from a major clinic found that just ten minutes of intense snow shoveling can push the heart near its maximum rate, and cold air itself raises blood pressure while reducing coronary blood flow. That mix of blood vessel constriction and rapid exertion makes even a routine chore feel like a stress test for your cardiovascular system.
“While there’s no strict age cutoff, generally above the age of mid 40s and above, we tend to be a little more cautious — particularly in people who are less active [without] regular exercise,” Dr. Navjot Kaur Sobti, M.D., an interventional cardiologist at Northwell’s Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York, told Fox News Digital. That direct advice reflects a common clinical view: fitness matters, and sudden, unfamiliar effort can be dangerous.
Cardiologists often advise greater caution starting in your mid 40s, and the risk climbs for people over 65 or anyone with existing heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity or a sedentary lifestyle. “Certainly in people who are above the age of 65 — and who have risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity or sedentary lifestyle — we recommend being very, very cautious about shoveling snow,” she advised.
Another practicing cardiologist emphasized the practical reality: unexpected heavy work after long periods of inactivity frequently triggers cardiac events. “Unless you are in good cardiovascular shape and conditioned, it may be a good idea to ask someone for help,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
The danger is especially clear for people with prior heart attacks, stroke, bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty, who should avoid shoveling entirely in many cases. “People with these characteristics and those who have had bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty simply should not be shoveling snow in any conditions,” he said.
Physiologically, the strain from shoveling resembles a maximal exertion stress test and can even surpass what monitored tests produce, because it’s unplanned and done in frigid conditions. Cold causes peripheral vasoconstriction and a jump in blood pressure, which combined with heavy lifting can overwhelm an already vulnerable heart.
Research has shown cold weather contributes to more cardiovascular deaths than heat, roughly doubling the toll in some analyses, and older adults are disproportionately affected. That pattern underlines why medical guidance leans toward prevention: avoid sudden, intense activity in the cold or take strong precautions when you must be outside.
“So the risk is very, very high,” Sobti cautioned. “It’s really that sudden rise in blood pressure coupled with the physical stress of snow shoveling itself.” Those words capture the twin hazards experts see every winter when typically sedentary people tackle a full driveway.
If you decide to shovel, pace yourself, favor pushing or sweeping motions over heavy lifting, and bundle up to limit cold exposure to your mouth, nose and extremities. Even tools that seem easier, like snow blowers, elevate heart rate — reported up to about 120 beats per minute compared with roughly 170 during intense shoveling — so stay mindful of exertion levels and take breaks often.
Pay attention to warning signs while working: chest pain, shortness of breath, a racing heart or palpitations are not things to shrug off. Even if symptoms fade after a few minutes, they can signal a serious problem and warrant calling 911 for prompt evaluation because rapid response saves lives.
“It’s better really to be safe than sorry.” That final, simple line from a cardiologist sums up the sensible path: don’t treat winter chores as tests of will; treat them as situations where caution, pacing and help can protect your heart.
