For Some People, Shoveling Snow Can Be Downright Dangerous

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Shoveling after a snowstorm is just a fact of life for many New Yorkers.

For Kip Marsh from Washington Heights it can be a heavy task.

"Pretty strenuous for sure," he told CBS2's Jessica Borg.

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Strenuous, and according to doctors -- downright dangerous for men. Especially if the guy is out of shape.

"They get their heart rates up to numbers they're not used to," Dr. Eric Applebaum explained.

Dr. Applebaum is an emergency physician and Chief Medical Officer at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.

"The average shovel of snow using a shovel this size is 7-lbs. Lifting that weight quickly and repeatedly can put a lot of strain on your body," he said.

It's particularly heavy at certain angles.

"It's at the edge of something there, so now it's even heavier to your upper extremities and it's taking blood away from areas that need it, i.e. the heart," Dr. Applebaum said.

Doctors said that if you're over 55 and have any risk factors whatsoever, get someone else to do it.

"If you have somebody who is offering to shovel you out, pay the money, it's not worth your life," Yvette Teixeira said.

Doctors said you should take your breaks inside the safety and warmth of your home, and not in your cars.

They warned that snow blocking your tail pipe can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.