Did you know you burn up to 340 calories every hour on-site?
We doubt this comes as much of a surprise to the average trade – we can work up quite a sweat on-site.
But we’re here with the important question: if you work in construction do you even need to go to the gym?
Cardio
Tasks like plumbing, electrical work, painting indoors or laying tile and carpet burn as many calories as a brisk walk.
However, it must be said that it’s not quite as good as more vigorous forms of cardio, like running or cycling. Better than sitting behind a desk, though…
Weights
Heavy construction work, for example if you’re a roofer or work with concrete, can burn as many calories per minute as a weight lifting session.
And you can’t argue that being strong is a big help on-site.
But if you really want to be giving out tickets to the gun show, it is best to hit the gym every now and then. The reason for this is that once you hit a certain strength level on-site, you’re unlikely to progress further.
After all, nobody’s going to volunteer to lug around progressively heavier wheelbarrows or swing a heftier hammer (even if it does make you feel like Thor).
So should you ditch the gym?
Although working on-site means you’re much more active than sitting at a desk all day, it’s not time to rip up your gym membership just yet.
In fact, being in good shape at the gym means you’re less likely to get injured while you are working.
Time to pick up those dumbbells! (Then put them down again, then pick them up again…)
You could even try some builders’ yoga…
