If you're the type of person that detests the winter months, like me, we can thank Christ this winter has been mild in terms of snow. So far, anyway. Cold yes, but relatively snow-free. Which is a good thing for those of us who aren't big fans of snow shoveling.

With Punxsutawne Phil seeing his shadow on Wednesday, it looks like there's still a good possibility Ma Nature could be giving us a snow job over the coming six weeks.

So, if you live in South Dakota you can expect at least a couple of whopper snowstorms that dump several inches of that heavy heart attack snow each year during the months of March and April. It's a fun little game Mother Nature likes to play most years. She will lure us into thinking winter is finally over, and then, bam! Welcome to 12 inches of back-breaking snow in late March.

Get our free mobile app

All of this snow talk begs the question, at what age should you stop shoveling snow?

I'm 58 years old right now, and each year during the snow removal season here in the Sioux Empire, I still see, men and women older than me scooping snow.

Shoveling snow past your mid 50's can be a scary proposition that most health experts do not recommend for a lot of folks. Let's be honest, most of us in our 50's and 60's aren't what you would consider physical specimens any longer.

I remember as a kid having an uncle who tackled one of Mother Nature's famous March snow jobs and ended up having a massive heart attack as a result. He succumbed to a "Widowmaker" as some people like to say.

Recently, I stumbled across an article in the Chicago Sun-Times that asked the question are you too old to shovel snow?

The story talked about the importance for older, middle-aged people, and those of us with medical conditions finding somebody else to do their shoveling for them.

The gist of the story was basically, you've reached the point in your life where you need to wave a wad of bills at young Billy down the street to entice him to clear your driveway. That, or pony up the dough necessary to buy a snowblower for yourself to make the task of snow removal a much easier one.

One doctor in the story recommends when you reach age 45 you should hang up your shovel for good. Another doc says 55 is the age you should consider passing the snow shovel to someone much younger. Either way, it appears between the ages of (45 and 55) is the recommended age range to surrender your snow shoveling title for good.

I guess the alternative is becoming best friends with a Briggs & Stratton during the months of November through dare I say May in South Dakota.

Basically, if you're getting up there in age, are overweight and out of shape, and prone to coronary artery disease, you should strongly consider slipping Timmy a twenty on those South Dakota snow days, and let him do the heavy lifting from now on.

You're snow shoveling days are behind you, my friend! Hallelujah!

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

TRENDING FROM RESULTS-TOWNSQUARE SIOUX FALLS:

50 Things Men Shouldn’t Have After They Turn 40

One of the hardest parts about getting older is coming to grips with the fact that the things that defined you in your 20s aren't so cool when you're in your 40s.

To help guys who are on the other side of 40, BestLife has put together a list of '50 Things No Man Over 40 Should Own'.

Now I'm quite a ways past 40 these days (56), but I decided to see just how many of these 50 things I am still clinging to well past their 'expiration' date for a man of my age.

12 Businesses That Would Do Great in Sioux Falls' Abandoned Gordmans Building

For thirty years the people of Sioux Falls saw the sign for Gordmans off-price department store across the parking lot from the Empire Mall.

In September of 2020, the store closed for its final time. Since then the building has sat empty, something that doesn't happen too often in Sioux Falls.

We were wondering what people in Sioux Falls would like to see take over the space. Some folks wanted their Gordmans back. It was a great place to find deals on clothing. But, all the Gordmans are gone, so that's a no-go.

And since we've gotten our Chick Fil A and Chipotle, the city is primed for another thing to line up for.

Source: What Age Should South Dakotans Quit Shoveling Snow?