# Hazards of being a weekend warrior? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 9, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hazards-of-being-a-weekend-warrior/663071 "2013-07-09T19:47:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hazards-of-being-a-weekend-warrior/663071/1 "2013-07-09T19:47:11Z")
Yesterday I had to move several yards of dirt via shovel and wheel barrel. It was about 90 degrees out in a blazing sun with fairly high humidity. I am 65 yrs old active but don’t really excersize and I smoke. ``` After a couple of hours I found myself getting really tired and was starting to worry I might cause myself a heart attack. I paced myself to where I felt I had a reasonably elevated heart rate and my huffing and puffing was not so bad as I couldn't carry on a decent conversation. Was I putting myself at abnormal risk or just the normal risks we go through in life? I realize smoking is an abnormal unneccessary risk all by itself. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hazards-of-being-a-weekend-warrior/663071/2 "2013-07-09T19:55:34Z")
Shoveling snow increases the risk of [heart attack.](http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/protect-your-heart-when-shoveling-snow-201101151153) I see not reason to believe why wheelbarrowing dirt in the heat would be any different. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hazards-of-being-a-weekend-warrior/663071/3 "2013-07-09T19:56:41Z")
Were you hydrated? Including salt? Was your belly sufficiently full? I did a project a couple weekends ago in the heat, moving and setting patio stones. I “hit a wall” at one point and sat down, treated myself to some water and what I thought was a Flav-Ice popsicle. I felt like a million bucks after I was done resting. Turns out I had eaten a Pedialyte popsicle (baby Gatorade) and it made a ton of difference! I’ve gotten dehydrated while working before and I imagine it’s like a heart attack w/o the pain - you get dizzy, you see stars and/or black spots. You’re tired as fuck. It takes longer to snap out of the longer you’re in it, too. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hazards-of-being-a-weekend-warrior/663071/4 "2013-07-09T20:15:59Z")
I did drink a lot of water and take frequent short breaks. Felt fine after a few hours rest. I recently had a friend keel over dead while digging in his back yard and I find myself getting paranoid everytime I start doing real hard physical work. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hazards-of-being-a-weekend-warrior/663071/5 "2013-07-09T20:26:17Z")
Besides an elevated risk of, you know, dying, this sort of thing is also a pretty high risk for injury. It’s pretty common for sedentary folks to throw out a back or experience considerable muscle pain for several days by doing this sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hazards-of-being-a-weekend-warrior/663071/6 "2013-07-09T20:37:08Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Shoveling snow increases the risk of [heart attack.](http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/protect-your-heart-when-shoveling-snow-201101151153) > > I see not reason to believe why wheelbarrowing dirt in the heat would be any different. Plus the very real danger of heat stroke. Not worth the risk. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hazards-of-being-a-weekend-warrior/663071/7 "2013-07-09T20:40:20Z")
Indeed, seniors are also at [higher risk](http://www.everydayhealth.com/senior-health/overheating-in-older-adults.aspx) of overheating, due to inefficiencies in their cooling mechanisms.