Every now and again I think about the fact that I don’t set aside time to do focused exercise like I tried to do when I was in school or worked a desk job. Then, I quickly remember that my job on the farm naturally involves plenty of exercise. Farmers get their share of steps in doing daily chores, extra bursts of cardio when the cows are out, and tons of weightlifting workouts by moving hay bales, pitching straw, or carrying newborn calves. Our balance is tested by maneuvering around big equipment and we get our share of stretching in by climbing gates, crawling under implements, or squatting to milk out a sick cow.
All-in-all, we end up with a pretty steady array of exercise on a day-to-day basis. Currently, as a rather pregnant mom of a 1-year-old, I will add that every one of those tasks is amplified on the scale of difficulty and exertion by carrying an infant, hauling around a big belly, or, better yet, doing both simultaneously. While most pregnant women suffer from swollen feet and legs at the end of the day, pregnant farmer women likely experience some of the more severe looking feet when the day is done. Our chore boots lack the support our feet crave and the endless hours on our feet do little to combat the inevitable swelling.
Balancing to climb up into the skid loader, hauling our awkward selves over cattle gates, or bending down to scrub calf bottles with that cumbersome baby bump are very specific types of physical tests we go through each day. Doing those things while balancing an infant on your hip or keeping track of the stroller just adds to the fun of it all.
All farmers who are parents know the added work of bringing kids along for the ride during chores or field work. Whether you’re giving your toddler a boost into the tractor or holding a sleeping baby while washing down milking equipment, every task is made into an even more extreme form of working out when you add parenting into the mix.
To all the farmers, or just people who spend most of the day on their feet, don’t forget to cut yourself some slack when you start worrying about fitting in the proper exercise. Your step count and the way you’ve worked your body throughout the day probably far exceeds the work accomplished during a typical person’s workout. A day on the farm is the ultimate workout filled with all the cardio, weightlifting, and stretching your body craves.
The author dairy farms with her parents and brother near Hawkeye, Iowa. The family milks approximately 300 head of grade Holstein cows at Windsor Valley Dairy LLC — split half and half between a double-eight parallel milking parlor and four robotic milking units. In the spring of 2020, Molly decided to take a leap and fully embrace her love for the industry by returning full time to her family’s dairy.