Safety Tips for Shoveling Snow

Every year that we get heavy snow I am reminded of all of the heart attacks that occur from snow shoveling. I personally know two families that have lost a love one, who appeared in good health, to a heart attack while shoveling. I always worry about my dad, though I'm very glad his new place has a short drive! Why is shoveling snow so dangerous? Simple, because of the cold temperatures, your blood vessels shrink restricting blood flow. This causes your heart to have to work harder than usual. Next add in some extremely strenuous exercise like shoveling heavy snow. Persons with blood pressure issues or known heart issues should use extreme caution when shoveling. You may not feel as tired or sore when you are shoveling because the cold becomes a constant irritant, so take lots of breaks. Get a shovel that is made for a person your size. Don't race or attempt to shovel too much snow. Put your hands at least 10-12 inches apart to get better leverage. Spray your snow shovel with some lubricant to help the snow slide off easier. If you feel week or tired, stop, get warmed up and rest until you are sure that you are alright. Also, never turn down help! If your kids want to help, let them!

Easy Ways to Make Sure Your New Year’s Resolution Doesn’t Fail

First and foremost, Happy New Year. Today we begin a new decade and a chance for a new start. Many will make New Years Resolutions only to be forgotten in a few short weeks. Too many people fail to have the wherewithal to follow through and accomplish their resolutions. As the famous quote says:

Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits.

This New Year gives us all an opportunity to better ourselves. The important thing to do is to be reasonable, start small, follow through, and finish big.

You should start by making your resolution something that is truly obtainable, specific, reasonable and life changing. “Lose weight” is obtainable to anyone but it isn’t specific enough. A better choice would be to “eat better” or “work out more.” These are much more specific and either can lead to “lose weight.” Eating better and working out more are both reasonable and both can be life changing.

Starting out small is easy. Just make a few changes to your daily routine. For example if you always take the elevator at work, start taking the stairs. That extra exercise will go a long way and get you started on your bigger goal. Want to eat better? Try eating two pieces of fresh fruit a day instead of some sugary or salty snack.

Following through is probably the most important step in achieving your New Year’s Resolution. As your small steps become part of your everyday routine you need to keep adding in more small changes. Now that you are taking the elevator, maybe you should start taking a 30 minute walk after dinner. Use that time to call friends and family or walk with your wife or kids to get even more life changes. Since you are eating more fruits and vegetables maybe you could start packing a healthy lunch for work each day. Treat yourself every Friday to a lunch out with your co-workers. These changes are easy when you only make small but lasting changes.

Following these steps you will be able to achieve your goals. You only have one barrier in your way. You need to write down your New Year’s Resolution and what small steps you are going to take to achieve it. Write a comment now to get started. Good Luck!