At times my job brings with it some punishing physical labor. Parts that you never knew you had will be stiff and sore. Each time I climb a set of stairs I swear they added more steps to it. Lifting, heaving, throwing, pushing, bending, climbing, crawling, cursing and praying. The older I get, the more it hurts, the longer it takes, and the less I enjoy it. It's tough enough getting out of a warm cozy bed on a cold morning knowing I'll spend the day moving a few thousand bricks. It's even tougher the next day when I can barely move.
Don't Overdo it.
Your body will let you know when it's had enough. Listen to your body.
If you need a rest, take a break. You've only got so much
energy available in your bloodstream. Use it up, your body needs time to draw from its reserves in order to keep you going. A piece of candy or a cup of
coffee will help keep up your energy, but it does nothing about the impact and strain which is what will make you sore and stiff. If your lifestyle has been more sedentary, you will do yourself a favor by gradually moving into the heavy labor- an hour here and there today, tomorrow a couple hours in the morning plus a couple more later on, the next day give it some more. Your body has limits, but you can expand those limits in just a few days.
Warm Up
Get the muscles moving, get the blood circulating. Starting the day like a sprinter is asking for aches and pains. The human body is able to perform for long periods under difficult conditions. What you can do and what you think you can do are often unrelated. Give your body a stretch, go for a walk, rake up a wheelbarrel load of leaves. These are not strenuous activities and can be enough to help your body move fluids around and get its housekeeping in order. You'll be able to do more than you think.
Good Food
I see new guys come to work with a
pouch of ramen noodles or a McYummy and expect to get through a 12 hour shift. They can do it for a day, but it does not take long to learn that long term performance is directly proportional to diet. I give them a mnemonic: Bread and Meat, Salt and Sweet. Bread and grains are quickly digested and offer energy. Meat brings protein to keep up muscles and bulk calories to carry your energy for the day. Salt keeps your fluids in balance. Sweet, more than anything dietary, keeps up your attitude. Your entire body is involved in the work and not all parts of your body have the same needs. A diverse diet feeds your diverse parts and allows your body to take care of itself.
Water
If you are not sweating or peeing, you are not drinking enough water. Everything you eat is water soluble. Every muscle, nerve, organ, tissue, and bone, is bathed in fluids. If you drink too much, your body will get rid of it. If you don't drink enough, your body won't function as well. You'll stiffen up, undernourished muscles will ache because they are not being flushed properly. Way too little, you'll cramp. A little gatorade can be a treat, but if you are drinking more than a couple of them in a day you are asking for trouble. A little coffee, sure. Coffee all day, not so good. You dont sweat soda,
milk, tea or energy drinks. Your body needs water. Drink water. If your diet is diverse, you probably have the nutrients you need. All that is required is water for delivery.
Rest and Breaks
After a couple hours of steady humping, take a break, drink some water. 15 minutes for a snack, half an hour for lunch, longer if you are old and busted like me. When it's time to get back to it, get your blood moving again-walk around the house, go check the mail.
Heat
See the
Homestead Safety-HEAT thread.
Tools
The right tool for the job can mean the difference between work and torture. Personal
experience is limited. Use the forums to ask about different tools. You can access the experience of thousands of people.
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