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any winter heart attacks aren't from the sudden exertion of shoveling snow. While the number of heart attacks does spike in the winter — by some estimates there are 53 percent more now than in the summer — that's true all across the country, including in some Sunbelt states that never see a snowflake. It's winter's cold, not just snow, that poses the threat. Our arteries respond to cold by constricting, and that makes us more prone to heart attacks. Why? Narrow arteries can cut down the flow of blood through the body, "making your heart work harder," says Roger Blumenthal, M.D., director of the
any winter heart attacks aren't from the sudden exertion of shoveling snow. While the number of heart attacks does spike in the winter — by some estimates there are 53 percent more now than in the summer — that's true all across the country, including in some Sunbelt states that never see a snowflake. It's winter's cold, not just snow, that poses the threat. Our arteries respond to cold by constricting, and that makes us more prone to heart attacks. Why? Narrow arteries can cut down the flow of blood through the body, "making your heart work harder," says Roger Blumenthal, M.D., director of the J Getty images Heather Berthoud br 50, Washington, D.C. Then: A hiking mishap in 2004 caused Berthoud severe pain. She couldn't even walk two blocks without needing to sit down. Desperate, she decided to try yoga. Now: "Yoga has given me my life back," she says. She can even hike again. Lesson learned: "I'm not trying to get my 30-year-old body back. This is 50, and 50 feels pretty damn good!" —Carol Krucoff

Heather Berthoud br

50, Washington, D.C.

Then: A hiking mishap in 2004 caused Berthoud severe pain. She couldn't even walk two blocks without needing to sit down. Desperate, she decided to try yoga. Now: "Yoga has given me my life back," she says. She can even hike again. Lesson learned: "I'm not trying to get my 30-year-old body back. This is 50, and 50 feels pretty damn good!" —Carol Krucoff

Heather Berthoud

50, Washington, D.C.

Then: A hiking mishap in 2004 caused Berthoud severe pain. She couldn't even walk two blocks without needing to sit down. Desperate, she decided to try yoga. Now: "Yoga has given me my life back," she says. She can even hike again. Lesson learned: "I'm not trying to get my 30-year-old body back. This is 50, and 50 feels pretty damn good!" —Carol Krucoff Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

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