Turning the forge into my fitness plan

[Aqua_Master]

Had an interesting chat with my doctor today. He said I should work on building some muscle mass. When I mentioned that I spend a fair amount of time blacksmithing, he nodded and said swinging a hammer definitely counts as exercise. So now I've got my excuse lined up... if I'm out in the shop, it's not just a hobby, it's my health plan.

I'm half-tempted to ask him for a written prescription: "X hours per week at the anvil." It'd be a lot better than paying a gym membership just to move metal plates around. Anyone else ever thought about the overlap between smithing and fitness? I'd argue a few hours of hammering and hauling stock around beats the recliner + beer routine any day.

 

[favorit0]

To be real, that's way better than treadmill miles. I’d take forging steel over curling dumbbells any day. Your doc should definitely sign off on prescribed hammer time, haha

 

[Ohio Rusty]

IOt is hard to throw a 25 pound hammer 100 times a day .... <lol>

 

[Jackson55]

Had an interesting chat with my doctor today. He said I should work on building some muscle mass. When I mentioned that I spend a fair amount of time blacksmithing, he nodded and said swinging a hammer definitely counts as exercise. So now I've got my excuse lined up... if I'm out in the shop, it's not just a hobby, it's my health plan.

I'm half-tempted to ask him for a written prescription: "X hours per week at the anvil." It'd be a lot better than paying a gym membership just to move metal plates around. Anyone else ever thought about the overlap between smithing and fitness? I'd argue a few hours of hammering and hauling stock around beats the recliner + beer routine any day.

Your idea of a written prescription is gold!
There's no doubt blacksmithing is a workout, though personally I still try to find time to dedicate a period for exercise.
That keeps me in shape for more smithing!

 

[FPDoc]

Had an interesting chat with my doctor today. He said I should work on building some muscle mass. When I mentioned that I spend a fair amount of time blacksmithing, he nodded and said swinging a hammer definitely counts as exercise. So now I've got my excuse lined up... if I'm out in the shop, it's not just a hobby, it's my health plan.

I'm half-tempted to ask him for a written prescription: "X hours per week at the anvil." It'd be a lot better than paying a gym membership just to move metal plates around. Anyone else ever thought about the overlap between smithing and fitness? I'd argue a few hours of hammering and hauling stock around beats the recliner + beer routine any day.

My wife and I used to demo at different events and steam engine or tractor shows, reenactnents etc. on the weekends. Picking up and moving a blacksmithing shop and stoçk of metal and coal will definately keep you in pretty good shape (till you have to slow down anyway).