Doctor’s Senior Exercise & Health Newsletter

January 15, 2002
Issue Vol. 2 No. 2

In This News Letter
Introduction
Healthfully Yours
Health Hint

Introduction***

The Doctor’s Senior Exercise & Health Newsletter is written bi-weekly, solely for information to help seniors, baby boomers and anyone else who may have an interest in staying healthy, living a vigorous, active lifestyle and combating the aging process. The newsletter also includes know-how in the form of useful tips and links to more extensive material on the Internet. It is not meant to prescribe treatments for any particular condition except as something that the individual may wish to discuss with their healthcare professional.

Web site: http://www.doctorsexercise.com

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The Doctor’s Senior Exercise Newsletter strives to give you the best available news that we hope will help you in your efforts to maintain a vigorous, pain-free and happy lifestyle. However, you should always seek advice from your healthcare professional before trying any new treatments that you may feel can help you. Discussing your intentions with your doctor is always the proper procedure.

Healthfully Yours***

Winter is here and in many areas of our country it is here with a vengeance. With winter comes snow and ice, and that of course means clearing away the snow. For the average individual, shoveling snow can be quite a chore and very dangerous at best. Picking up a shovel and going out to clear the snow may sound easy, however, the prudent individual will give this some serious thought, especially those who are of senior years.

The senior will be more prone to various types of injury in freezing weather. Cold weather has a deleterious affect on the muscles, joints and ligaments due to the contraction of the blood vessels to these areas of the body. With the contraction of the muscles and blood vessels, there is less blood that flows to the muscles, joints and ligaments. This reduction in the blood supply causes them to become fatigued easily making them a prime target for injury when too much stress is placed upon them.

Dressing properly for this type of activity is of the utmost importance. It is best to dress in 2 or 3 layers of lighter clothing instead of one heavy garment. Wear clothing made of synthetic material, such as nylon, polypropylene, acrylic or wool next to the skin. Do not wear cotton as your first layer, and that includes socks, because as you perspire it will become damp and retain moisture, which only tends to heighten the affect of the cold. The synthetic materials will wick moisture away from the skin so that the cold will not be as apparent.

Wear gloves at all times, making sure they are waterproof. When gloves become damp, the chances of your fingers becoming frostbitten greatly increases. You should always wear a hat to keep your head warm, and in extreme cold weather, if your hat does not cover your ears, wear earmuffs to prevent your ears from being frostbitten.

Now that you have taken the proper precautions against the weather by following the above procedures, the real fun begins. You must now prepare your body for the strenuous work that is ahead of you if you want to protect yourself against the many forms of bodily injury that can strike you at any time during shoveling snow. As previously mentioned, the most vulnerable areas are the muscles, joints and ligaments. The one area not mentioned before, and should be mentioned now, because of it’s importance, is the heart.

The heart is a muscle, and as any other muscle in the body, it too can react to the cold. Just as an athlete, professional or amateur alike, prepares for whatever sport they are engaged in, you should prepare yourself in the same manner. Just two minutes of warming up before braving the cold outdoors and picking up that shovel, can save you from a bout of pain, or even worse, a heart attack. Read more about the proper preparation and ways to shovel properly in the health hints below.

Health Hints***

When in beginning any form of exercise, your body must be conditioned before starting heavy work. That means you should do some stretching exercises before considering picking up that shovel and going outside to begin shoveling snow. Considering that the muscles of your upper and lower back as well as the muscles of your legs and buttocks will be getting a heavy workout, you can save yourself a world of grief by getting them warmed up and flexible beforehand. Once you are sufficiently warmed up, you can pick up that shovel and go outside to start shoveling.

Here too, the proper form in actually shoveling the snow is of the greatest importance. Not using the proper form makes you an immediate candidate for some form of injury to your upper back, lower back or legs, and of course the strain to your heart, or a heart attack. When the unaccustomed strain, aggravated by severe cold is placed on the heart, many a heart attack has resulted. If death does not occur after such an episode, heart damage can be a permanent impairment.

Proper form in shoveling requires that you do not lift a full shovel of snow, and do not try to throw it onto a pile. The snow is far heavier than it appears to be, because of the water content. Instead of lifting the snow and trying to throw it, push it ahead of you, and in small amounts only. One of the greatest mistakes, many people make is when they lift a shovel of snow and toss it to the side. This turning and twisting motion can result in a sprain or the strain to the upper or lower back muscles, joints or ligaments, and cause bouts of pain or even disability that can extend for a long period of time.

Should you have to lift a shovel full of snow, do not fill the shovel. When lifting, bend your knees, trying to keep your back as straight as possible. Use your leg and arm muscles to do most of the work, and not your back. While shoveling, should you feel a sudden pain in any muscle, stop immediately. It can mean that the muscle has been sprained (or even torn), and continuing to use it will cause further damage to it.

If you feel any pain or discomfort as if someone is squeezing your chest, and you are experiencing a shortness of breath, stop immediately and go indoors. If the feeling persists, even for a short time, seek immediate help, and if necessary, call 911. It is better to be safe, than sorry.

If you are going to be outdoors for a few hours, do not work at it constantly. Take breaks every 15 minutes or so, and do not allow yourself to become overly tired. Becoming fatigued weakens the muscles and they can be injured more easily. At best, many of you will wind up with sore or aching muscles. If one muscle is very sore or painful, apply ice to it for 15 minutes about every two hours for a day or two. If the pain persists, see your healthcare professional.

I realize that many people who will not experience snow this winter, may not find this of interest to them, but this is of the greatest importance to those who will. Many of these hints can be used in other climes and in other pursuits, such as gardening.

I hope that you enjoy these newsletters and find them interesting and have value to you. I also would appreciate your telling your friends about them, so that they too may subscribe to them.

Doc Cane

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