Blog, Safety
Woodworking, and staying in shape
May 9, 2008 by Al Navas (Sandal Woods) · 7 Comments
How can staying in shape be related to woodworking?
Back pain, a pulled muscle, a tender nerve, or a twisted ankle all can contribute to accidents in the shop. And the meds we take to make these ailments can affect our performance in the shop, just like the same meds can affect our driving: They can impair our senses, to the point of making us make a costly mistake.
Fortunately, we won’t get a ticket in the shop if we make a left hand turn at the jointer, instead of making a right hand turn to the lumber rack. But the downside of not being in top shape in the shop can be just as bad as if we made the wrong turn on the road; in the shop we may not hurt someone else, as we are likely to hurt (only?) ourselves… or our shop partner, for those of us lucky enough to have a shop partner (I just raised my hand).
In the last two weeks I have experienced first-hand the meaning of being in less than top shape, so I have had to stay out of the shop. My back was sore for a while before this latest incident, until one day last week it went out and I was unable to lift anything heavier than a spoon.
Fast-forward to yesterday: After several visits to the chiropractor, and muscle relaxants and pain killers over several days, and yesterday I finally was able to lift the remaining bundles of brush left over from the ice storm this past Winter. A huge bundle now awaits for a quiet, no-wind day, to get rid of this bundle. Yes, we are allowed burning in our County.
But not being able to lift, or to bend properly at the waist, or to just plain function normally in the shop, kept me out for a long time. Couple the pain with the pain drugs, and I had become dangerous to myself. I am certain I would have done something stupid. I have been in this situation before, e.g., when I felt I had to do things because I was expected to do them. Little did I know I had actually put not only myself at risk, but others too!
My simple message is this: If you feel you are less than 100%, and if you are taking drugs to relieve pain or some other ailment, do yourself and your family a favor and stay out of the shop! It is not worth doing it. It should be a plain and simple decision.
In my case, back trouble is the first sign that I am not in good physical shape. In other words, it is the first sign that I must get back on the Nordic Track or on the tread mill and get back in good shape. For this, I am grateful to my back. But it can also aggravate me, for I know then I have not been doing my work to stay in good shape.
I wish all happy and safe woodworking year-round!
Hi. My name is Al Navas, Owner of Sandal Woods - Fine Woodworking. Welcome to my site - I hope you will enjoy your stay! While you are here, I invite you to support my sponsors by clicking on their links and buying "stuff" from them. Disclosure: I receive a small commission from your purchases through my Affiliates only (Amazon.com, Woodcraft, and Rockler); these help defray my costs a little. I also sometimes receive tools from my sponsors, for evaluation purposes. I thank you for your support of my effort!
Thanks, Neil!
I think I can accept back pain when I do something unexpected and get hurt. But I cannot accept it when I *know* I have been lazy, and have allowed myself to get so far out of shape. The Nordic Track will thank me for it, as *it*, too, will not get rusty. You know, there *could* be a Woodworkers Workout DVD in this thing…
Hi Al:
Of all the posts on safety, this was to me the most overlooked.
One of the aspects of woodworking that I like is that it’s a physical endeavor. And the preventitive medicine is not to be afraid of the gym. Especially as we get older.
Hanging doors and drawers on an wrap-around desk or buffet is no easy chore. Up, down, knees, hips, odd reaching positions with a screw gun in hand all lead to a sore body unless you are in good physical condition. And if you have any soreness it is handled without meds.
Good topic……..next should be the woodworkers workout
Neil
Have to agree with you there Al – it’s all part of maximising the enjoyment in the workshop, and you can’t enjoy it as much if you are in pain, especially if that pain is self-inflicted from a shop-related event (such as lifting something silly!)
I’ve had the opposite experience over the past few months – I got sick of carrying a few extra pounds, so have dropped about 15% of my bodyweight, and I feel great! (Still have a way to go- need another 10% or so to disappear). So much more energy to be able to pour into the workshop (and other activities). It just goes to show me that despite the workshop not being a particularly active activity (unless you are in love with handtools
) you can still benefit greatly from getting into, and keeping in shape.
Ted,
I chuckled at your comment. I am *sure* I fall into the category of “feeling good” because I *am* out of shape, but won’t admit it
So true, so true. I wonder how many times that good feeling we get because we think we worked so hard is really just because we are really out of shape?