31 Comments

The only thing I’d add: just as you’ve got a physical fitness problem if you can’t push mow 2 acres of lawn in a day, you’ve got a mental fitness problem if you can’t do it without the distraction of a podcast, audiobook, or music. Nothing against those things, just that there is an overlooked benefit to letting your mind wander.

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True doing things quietly is underrated!

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Couldn't agree more. This has been a big weak point of mine that I'm working consciously to get better at! At least a few days a week. Lots to learn from podcasts or gain from music, but it’s a huge benefit for me to let my mind wander.

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Same. What's worked for me is framing it as trying to get my "10,000 mental steps a day." I equate that to 100 minutes of letting my mind wander. Been a lot more productive, in a creative sense, since starting in March.

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Great rule of thumb. I'm definitely going to try and adopt that!

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I mow my yard with a $40 human powered reel mower I bought on Facebook Marketplace. My yard is about 1/10 of an acre, so it's not much a physical achievement. The number of my neighbors that are paying someone $50 a week to mow their same sized yards is staggering. It literally takes me 10 minutes.

I also run 5K 3 or 4 times a week - usually at 630 AM before it gets hot. Getting your heart rate up to 55-65% of max for 35-45 minutes more days than not is the key to staying healthy into your retirement years.

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Based

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Well… Hell… I mow (I call it ‘Lawning’) a bit less than three acres— two American football fields— walking. The 32” mower I use has power in the rear wheels. A ‘push’ mower ain’t gonna’ happen 🤪 That’s about 7 or 8 hours a week. In addition, my name is John and I am not an alcoholic, because alcoholics drink alcohol and I don’t drink. Haven’t for 12 years. I’m 76 years old. So… Yay! You! I’m with ya’ ❤️

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You could do it though if you had to. That's the point! And honestly it doesn't take 7 hours, can def be done around 4 (which is about the time for a solid hike).

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Okay ‘Hot Shot,’ come on over and have at it! I’ll buy the kombucha 🤪

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BTW… @ $250 a week (less than the going rate ‘round here) that’s more than $6,000 saved each season… not including the gym membership 🤪

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hell yeah

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While the state of my knees will not allow me to push-mow 2 acres, I'm all for sweating in the sun while doing what my knees WILL allow me to do! I admire people who have dedication to their health. And I'm very proud of the fact that I'm one of those who WILL use 3 flights of stairs, despite what my knees tell me!

Thank you for the encouragement & push!

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Swimming is also a great low impact activity perhaps. Very healthy and works the whole body

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This is true!

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Team push mow. Heat index of 101, up hill both ways. My other tip is to trim trees and bushes with hand tools. Great upper body.

Glad your doing well Adam!

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Along with lifting weights and running nearly every day, I take a 20 minute walk at lunch to get some fresh air and sun. At night we take a 30-45 minute walk.

Weird that getting exercise and sun has become a hot take.

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I moved to the country 3 years ago, bought 60acres w a house built in 1850, gave up booze and have to say, it’s been excellent. I have 4 acres that I mow w a rider but I get a ton of exercise from the chores around the land. Cutting and moving firewood, cleaning up fallen trees and branches, building walls w slate and manually hauling around a cart w all that stuff. As an old dude (59) the manual labor is grueling but at the end of the day it’s worth it because you accomplish something that is tangible in a way building an app or website just isn’t.

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This is life

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I’m open to signing off on this but would like to clarify - we are using a non-bagging mower here, correct?

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Who even uses mower bags on big properties. No, let it fertilize

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This seems like a pretty good, albeit inefficient, proxy for physical fitness.

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But you aren't a borg drone. Not everything you need to do needs to be about 'efficiency'

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Am very much a borg drone

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I am not living in the pod and eating the bugs, idk why you'd want that bud :)

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I'm here for this one.

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I agree - have always found it strange how much effort people will go through to mimic the organic physical activity only to religiously go to the gym, yoga, spin class, with complaints about "it's too hot". Good on them for regularizing activeness, but there's a satisfaction that comes from (some) physical labor that I never feel at the gym.

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Ok, but why would you ever mow 2 acres??? For a golf course? What do you need 2 acres mowed for?

Personally, I’m on team re-wilding, and aim to mow less, not more.

I’m sure I could physically do it, but again… why?

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Good point! Or plant something on that land and spend that time harvesting apples or whatever and hauling them back home, pressing them into cider.

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Yes! Native plant food forest or orchard.

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The title was way too good for me not to stop. Love the thought and I think you're probably spot on. But do you have any guess as to how long this actually takes? My guess is severally hours but I'm not sure.

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