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Are you in good physical shape?

Farmers are always active and "on the go" but this is no replacement for exercise

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Published: March 24, 2015

farmer loading grain with auger

Farm work is physically demanding, so it is no surprise that farming has always been synonymous with health and good physical condition. But is that still the case?

Peter has no energy anymore. He wakes up exhausted and feels winded at the slightest effort. It seems he always has a backache too. On his wife’s advice, he consulted his doctor, who recommended that he lose at least 40 pounds, change his diet and get some exercise.

Leaving the doctor’s office, he felt insulted, and he mocked the doctor’s warnings: “Since when does a farmer need exercise? As if we didn’t get enough already! It seems to me that he doesn’t know much about our work.”

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Even though both the public and farmers themselves perceive farmers as healthy and physically fit, I see in my own practice more and more farmers who are less and less in shape.

Should you care about exercise? The answer is yes, and not just because of your health. Exercise will help you better manage your business.

Scientists have learned more about the brain in the last 10 years than in all previous centuries combined. In regard to thinking clearly, making better decisions, and improving memory, John Medina, a molecular biologist, says, “Research has consistently shown that exercisers outperform couch potatoes in tests that measure long-term memory, reasoning, attention, problem-solving and fluid intelligence. When combined with the health benefits exercise offers, we have as close to a magic bullet as exists in modern medicine.”

In other words, if you think that exercise is a luxury, think again.

But what should you do to remain in shape? Physical health scientists assert that to retain or improve one’s condition, you should do an average of 30 to 60 minutes of light to moderate activity three to five times a week, depending on the intended objectives. Does normal farm work meet that minimum? “That is no longer the case for many farmers,” says Quebec kinesiologist Jimmy Lévesque. “Over the last two decades, the modernization of farming has produced a profound transformation in the farmer’s work.”

Furthermore, Lévesque explains that in daily farming work, some muscle groups may be worked very hard at the expense of other muscle groups, producing backache or the phenomena of curvatures and muscular imbalance.

In the end, even Peter ends up admitting, “When I work 16 hours a day planting, it’s the machinery doing the work, not my body or my heart.”

But how do you know if you need more exercise?

  • Your body mass index (BMI), your weight in kilos divided by your height in metres squared (BMI = kg/m2), is higher than 28 (Google for web sites that help you calculate and use this number).
  • You climb three flights of stairs, and you are too winded to talk.
  • You have trouble doing 10 sit-ups.
  • After a moderate (70 per cent MHR) 10 to 15 minute workout, it takes more than five minutes to return to your normal heart rate.
  • You have trouble touching your toes with your fingers when seated on the floor with your legs extended.

The more yeses you have, the more you should consider getting in shape and eating healthily. At a gym or not, individually or in a group, getting back in shape is an important decision and requires major commitment and discipline. So, yes, you have to invest time, energy and money, but the benefits are extremely profitable with regard to your physical, psychological and financial health. Remember, if you don’t invest in your health now, someday you will be forced to do so by an illness; it will no longer be your choice.

As the years pass, I see more and more farmers who recognize their need to get in shape. This isn’t true for everyone — some are in shape already, while others still think that farmers don’t need to exercise because exercise is for those who work with a pen. I sometimes meet business owners who find it crazy that a farmer would go to the gym or ride a bike.

Health comes from changing your belief system, knowing why you want to improve yourself, and planning to take action.

Finally, if you hear your little voice saying, “I don’t have time for that, I can’t afford that,” ask yourself if you can afford not taking the time to be healthy.

But start smart. See your doctor before any significant change in physical activity.

Pierrette Desrosiers, MPS, CRHA is a work psychologist, professional speaker, coach and author who specializes in the agricultural industry. She comes from a family of farmers and she and her husband have farmed for more than 25 years (pierrettedesrosiers.com). Contact her at [email protected].

About The Author

Pierrette Desrosiers

Pierrette Desrosiers

Columnist

Pierrette Desrosiers, MPS, CRHA is a work psychologist, professional speaker, coach and author who specializes in the agricultural industry. She comes from a family of farmers and she and her husband have farmed for more than 25 years (www.pierrettedesrosiers.com).

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