YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – The winter mess we saw over the past few days brought ice, sleet and snow.

This can create a heavy pile of snow, and it did.

According to Mercy Health’s Dr. Walt Sweeney, heavy snow can be more strenuous than a hard workout. The repetition of shoveling a driveway can be hard on the heart and lungs.

Sweeney recommends taking breaks or even using a snow blower if you can.

“If you have any cardiac conditions or if you are at risk for any cardiac condition, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, family history, things like that, and you go out and try something that’s that strenuous, it’s just too much,” he said.

Paul Hutchinson, of Boardman, said the snow becomes harder to move where snowplows have pushed the snow on top of the ice.

“It is really heavy the first few feet from the street,” he said.

Sweeney said to monitor any discomfort in your chest that may occur while shoveling. It could be a sign of a heart attack.

Hutchinson said he was taking breaks to eat and relax between shoveling.