The local Napa gym attendees enjoy various times of for a workout. At 6 AM, dedicated fitness advocates can be seen migrating through the sliding glass doors of local gyms. Mid-morning Yoga classes are a popular event for people who might have days of throughout the week or work from home. Small group fitness classes are offered at lunch times where the 8 to 5 workers can get a quick workout. After 5 PM, rush hour at the gym includes swimmers, basketball players, and a rush of participants on the cardiovascular machines. However, what happens when a chain of unfortunate events occur that deter a gym visit? Kids are at home sick from school. Work goes to late. Perhaps the toilet gets clogged and needs immediate attention just as you’re walking out the door. Certain things are out of our control. However, by focusing on specific tasks we do around our house, maybe we can derive some ideas to remain strong and refine our fitness when our normal fitness routines are halted.
If we look at the bodies of carpenters, gardeners, and vineyard workers, we can see their bodies are strong and able to endure quite a bit. Shaking a carpenter’s hand, you can tell that their strong fingers and solid palms of their hands has bent some rebar in their day. A master gardener or landscaper moves with good posture, able to bend down on one knee or squat down to pick potted plants and bags of soil from the ground. Vineyard workers tend to our beautiful vineyards laced through the valley under the hot sun. After their shift, you’ll find them on the soccer field for an hour or two scoring goals. The strength of a carpenter. The flexibility and resiliency o f a gardener. The endurance of a vineyard worker. There is something be said about the mental fortitude and physical abilities of workers from these trades.
Without mentioning the gym or strength training exercises, we can put together that moving heavy objects, bending, and turning while performing calculated tasks, and endurance while doing methodical tasks will administer fitness results a gym isn’t necessary for.
A carpenter needs to hold a 2×4 against another object and swing a hammer to drive a nail into the board. The resistance of an 8-foot-long 10 lbs. 2×4 requires strength from the upper arms, shoulder blades, and core to stabilize this object for a prolonged period of time. Swinging a hammer to put multiple boards together all day requires dexterity, control, and concentration. The muscles involved in a gardener’s everyday tactics must be pliable and able to endure the continual demands of their work while their body is changing its shape from standing, to crouching down, and kneeling. A day’s work of gardening includes bending at the knees, squatting down, and rotating at the core. Therefore, a gardener’s body can build up strong and flexible joints through years of performing their everyday tasks. The vineyard worker possesses a substantial amount of endurance to stand all day in hot climates as they complete their labor under as the sun’s UV rays radiate upon them. The ability to travel an entire vineyard block numerous times throughout the day in heated conditions indicates a body that has an efficient cardiovascular and thermodynamic system.
If the local gym or workout classes are challenging to attend, look into projects and crafts that need attention around home. Draw a connection between the muscles of the body and energy systems necessary to complete tasks. After a full day of working on craft that requires focus from the body and mind, you’ll find that you can create a strong and active body without leaving the house.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
