Minnesotans, How Old is Too Old to Shovel Snow?
Don't ask John Gustafson or Max Goldman, the beloved characters of 'Grumpy Old Men' fame, 'How Old is Too Old to Shovel Snow?' You just might get a big, "Why don’t you do the world a favor and take your lower lip and pull it over your head and swallow?”
Ask someone who may be a bit more open-minded and medically trained, and you'll probably get a different, more educated answer.
According to a study reported in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, snow shoveling isn't for everyone.
In the study, almost 200,000 people were treated in U.S. emergency rooms for shoveling-related incidents during the 17-year study period, with a yearly average of 11,500 individuals needing medical attention.
Doctors say that in addition to soft-tissue injuries and lower-back problems -- heart attacks are also at an increased risk when snow shoveling.
The most common reasons for a medical emergency are acute musculoskeletal exertion, slips, and falls, and being struck by a snow shovel. Cardiac-related emergency room visits accounted for 7% of the cases in this study, including all of the reported deaths.
The bottom line is that the magic age of 45 (according to this study) is the age when snow shoveling should be passed on to the next generation. <Insert collective Minnesota laughter here.>
Clearly, this study was done by a bunch of softie Californians.
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