Mimi had ordered four yards of mulch and it was dumped in her driveway. The weather report called for rain, so I knew I had to move the stuff before it, and I, got soaked. I was thinking it would be a good workout and over the next four hours, I spread it around trees and shrubbery throughout her yard…but it really wasn’t. She’d asked me if I could trim the two large pine trees whose branches were making it tough for the grass crew…and of course I jumped at the chance. It was then that I discovered the workout.
There are no chainsaws in the ‘Paleo’ man’s repertoire…and Mimi doesn’t own one anyway…so I grabbed my hand saws and ladder and went to work. In all, I took over twenty limbs of various shapes and sized…but some as big around as my arm and over twenty feet long. Sawing through was no big deal, it was dragging them the quarter mile from the trees to the depository I’d created in the woods behind her house that had me sweating. If you’re ever looking to strengthen the core and muscles of the legs, grab something heavy and drag it…for two hours…over soft ground and through the woods where other trees still standing grab it and try to pull back.
I’m convinced that the best kind of total body workout is basically hard, physical work that has you sweating. Cutting, climbing, balancing, pulling, lifting, and walking were all part of this process and at the end I was fatigued and all my muscles had gotten involved. Though I didn’t need more really…I still felt the need for an aerobic workout and with Holly and I going on a two-day get-away where I’d likely exercise less and eat more…I decided a run would be appropriate. I went to the Metropark and logged a 50-minute effort. Both of my feet were sore over the first 20 minutes of the run…probably from all I’d done in the previous six hours…but I actually felt pretty good otherwise. It was one of those days where you get wasted physically…but feel great that you could. And I did.
Yard Work Duration: 6 hours. Run duration: 50 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 70-100 for yard work and 140 for the run.
Calories burned: 1800 for yard work and 850 for the run.
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