Working out

I have always been somewhat bemused by the extent that people will go to get some exercise.

First off, you gotta join a gym or dedicate a room of your house to exercise equipment. You have to have the right apparel. You have to have goals and a trainer.

I am even more bemused when I see a guy all dressed up in workout clothes walking past the guy who is mowing his lawn. It's just kind of funny to see people passing up opportunities to be productive and get exercise at the same time.

This is one of the big advantages of being a woodworker. You get your exercise while you do your work. It's built right in. No need to spend money on club memberships or workout equipment. You have your workout machines right there in the shop. Plenty of weight lifting, stretching, pressing, lunging, sprinting ... you name it.

I'm not trying to imply that all woodworkers are in tip top shape. I know plenty of woodworkers who are packing a pretty good-sized gut (although I think that might be more from the beer than anything else). But most people who do this kind of work day in and day out tend to be in pretty good shape. And most of them will laugh at the idea of spending a day in the shop building cabinets and then going to the gym afterwards for a workout.

D.D.