Have you ever tried to write while walking on a treadmill? Neither had I, until this article. I’ve had an under-desk treadmill for the last month, so it seemed like a good time to put words into action. Literally. Let’s just say that typing while walking has taken some practice; there were a few lines running all over the page.
Why would I want to walk while I write, especially after four knee surgeries? It enhances creativity, fights off the afternoon blahs, and increases the happy hormones. It’s also a great way to supplement the spinning and kickboxing classes that are standing appointments on my calendar. That’s the only way I make fitness work in my schedule, and if I don’t, I’m crabby, don’t deal with stress well, and my legs don’t move.
Besides, I like to eat ice cream, and walking while working helps me justify more ice cream!
Whether you work in an office job, on the farm, or sit in a classroom — it is important we move more, for both our physical and mental health. Americans face an obesity epidemic — including an increasing number of farmers and ranchers — which calls for prioritizing fitness in agriculture.
Why?
Scientifically speaking, exercise increases endorphins and other natural brain chemicals, according to Mayo Clinic. “Exercise helps prevent and improve a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. Research on depression, anxiety and exercise shows that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can also help improve mood and reduce anxiety.”
Dairy nutritionist Laurie Winkelman puts it more simply: “It’s good for the mental health.”
She should know: Laurie has run 45 marathons and is now competing on a national level in fitness racing, a blend of running and functional fitness. “You can’t take care of other people, your land, or animals if you don’t take care of yourself.”
Winkelman acknowledges it’s hard to find time but that fitness is critical to getting a mental break from the stress of agriculture.
“It makes me feel good about myself,” she says. “I can control how I work out, what I eat, and when I work out — I can’t control my job, farming, showing cattle, or the weather. It’s a great stress relief, and I really enjoy the community outside of agriculture.”
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An increase in confidence and empowerment are the benefits that Emily Shaw, a certified fitness trainer and founder of Dairy Girl Fitness, sees in her clients.
“Exercise and taking care of your health is hard,” Shaw says. “The women I work with feel empowered in their own bodies and capabilities as they start to work out. They find an increase in their self-worth and realize, ‘I deserve to do something for me.’”
How?
“Strength training is a great place to start to set a strong foundation,” points out Shaw, who loves to show dairy cattle and has a degree in kinesiology. She has found that not enough women are doing as much strength training as they need. “Contrary to what many women think, strength training leads to the look many women are looking for — and more importantly, helps with endurance, work on farm, lifting kids, etc.”
There are many ways to intentionally include exercise into your day, from gym time to walking to early morning or evening classes to burning sweat on your own farm. Amanda Nigg, widely known as Farm Fit Momma, suggests looking at exercise as a task, not optional.
“Block it off on your calendar, get your running shoes out the night before. Be intentional,” she says.
You know those old tractor tires out back? Or the chains so handy in spring mud? The buckets of feed in the barn? The stack of cinder blocks? All can be called on to help get you in shape, according to Nigg, who has built a business training the people of agriculture.
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Her mental wellness was at an all-time low in March 2020, as a result of their South Dakota home burning to the ground and losing access to her gym due to the pandemic. Seeing her despair, her husband brought her farm items she could work out with. Nigg fell in love with creating on-farm workouts and now encourages her clients to creatively find items in their own operation.
“One Canadian client used buckets of oats, added water to adjust weight, and weighed them on a cattle scale,” Nigg says.
“Fitness helps manage stress and rediscover who you are after taking care of everyone else.” Want to know how to get started? “Keep it simple: don’t overcomplicate it and overwhelm yourself. Start small like improving your water intake each day. Begin by walking daily,” says Nigg, a mom who has built a successful business helping farmers find fitness.
When?
All of Nigg’s workouts are 15 to 20 minutes, and she works to help clients learn the intrinsic relationship between mental and physical health. She’s had people all walks take the program, include her oldest client, a 79-year-old grandma with abs. “I freakin love watching my clients transform — it lights my fire to impact the ag community.”
“Many people feel selfish when they take that time for themselves,” notes Nigg. But exercise helps you be a better parent, better farm operator, and increase confidence in what you bring to the table. Both she and Shaw pointed to nutrition as a key contributor in well-being; which I also covered in my article with nutrition tips to improve mental wellness.
Integrating in fitness into chores helps Missouri rancher and pharmacist Jason Medows; he rides a bike to check cows and hauls feed bags instead of relying on equipment. He shared more tips in Agriculture’s Growth Journal about exercising in his mental health journey.
“Focus on consistency over perfection. Not only in exercise, but in health. You’ll see more progress in doing good the majority of the time,” says Shaw.
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Keep in mind there is no singular right way to fit exercise in. Maryland farmer Paula Linthicum goes to circuit training at 6 a.m. to start her day. Wisconsin farmer Eliza Ruzic plays basketball with her kids and goes for a run when she’s mad. Find what works for you and stick to it.
Exercise isn’t easy. You won’t always feel like working out. There are days it takes a solid 45 minutes of sweat and pain before I feel any benefit, but I try to remember that it is helping me in the long run — physically and mentally — if I keep after it consistently. Kind of like farming, the rewards aren’t always immediate, but the more you work out, the more results you’ll see.
Michele Payn speaks and writes to help the people of agriculture have the tough conversations about managing stress, connecting with consumers, and making sense of science. Learn more at causematters.com/growthjournal or follow @mpaynspeaker on social media.
