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.

Snow From Storm Fionn Covers Southern Scotland
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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.

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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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