MYSTIC, Conn. — Getting enough rest is just as important as regular physical activity, said a fitness trainer.
Speaking at the North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association in Mystic, Connecticut, Feb. 7, Deanna Black said rest, physical activity and good nutrition can all help keep stress at bay in farm businesses.
Black said most people need about seven to eight hours of sleep a night.
They also need to take breaks to eat and get up and move around.
“Our brain is only on task for 90 minutes,” she said.
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Black advised those in the audience to listen to their bodies, noting that intense pain is different than soreness from throwing bales for an hour.
How easily you manage everyday tasks and how quickly your body recovers from high activity levels are indicators of the shape you’re in, she said.
“Sharp searing sensations will give you an indication that you need to make a change.”
Make exercise a routine and a social activity.
“If you have a workout partner, you are more likely to stay on routine,” said Black.
A fitness centre might be a long drive from the farm, so take advantage of what’s on hand.
At her Center Grove Orchard in Cambridge, Iowa, she gets her bakery staff outside to do hula-hoop exercises.
Exercise can include using pumpkins like weights, walking trails and jumping over bales.
Tap toes, roll back shoulders, reach arms up, arch the back or stand up and sit down in the tractor and carry boxes instead of loading them onto the utility vehicle.
Fitness sessions don’t need to be long to do some good, she said, adding that studies have found benefits from bursts of activities such as running up stairs or walking and jogging intermittently.
“It doesn’t have to be a continuous 30 minutes; you can have pockets throughout the day,” said Black.
Recovery time after exercise is key.
“You need that rest time to allow the body to recover and come back stronger,” she said.
Black recommended finding your resting heart rate first thing in the morning when you get out of bed.
“How quickly you return to it (after exercise) is an indicator of your fitness,” she said.
She advised delegates to manage the stress that is controllable, namely thoughts and feelings.
“If you get yourself in the present moment, that will significantly reduce our stress,” said Black.
She used the example of an angry patron at her agritourism operation who was waiting to use a jumping pillow with his daughter when a group activity started, forcing him to wait longer.
Black listened to his concerns and learned he had only a short time at the farm, had not seen the sign indicating the planned activity and did not know it would last only a few minutes.
“If I feed into the drama, it fuels that drama,” said Black.
Managing weight is another factor in wellness, she said.
“Once you gain a fat cell, you never lose it, it only gets smaller and bigger,” she said.
Stephanie and Phil Quinn of La Ferme Quinn in Notre-Dame-de-l’lle-Perrot, Que., each lost 35 pounds by changing the way they ate, hiring a personal trainer and playing volleyball regularly.
“It helps us unwind and commits us to taking time off,” Stephanie Quinn said.
“We don’t do a good job of running our business if we’re not taking care of yourself first.”
She said busy periods on their entertainment farm caused them to grab snack food that the farm sold or eat out.
“When I’m exhausted, I no longer have the willpower to make smart choices,” said Quinn.
The couple started by stocking healthier food options on their farm menus, such as couscous salad, stir-frys and roasted corn, and limiting their eating off farm to special family nights out.
Quinn also made meals in big batches, freezing some for later, swapped meals with staff and bought catered meals.
“If you’re making one, you might as well make three,” she said.
They stocked more lean proteins, often substituted zucchini for pasta and limited fat and sugar in their diets.
Eve Kaplan, who operates the Garden of Eve Organic Farm and Market at Aquebogue, New York, advised selecting whole foods and avoiding processed ones.
Choose popcorn over chips and roasted turkey over deli selections and make porridge or eggs for breakfast.
“Boxed cereal just makes you more hungry,” she said.
Kaplan suggested making snack options such as meat and cheese wrapped in greens and using labour savers such as pressure cookers, rice cookers and slow cookers.
Like Black, Kaplan also believes in stopping for a break or a sit-down meal.
“If you’re not resting, your body will find a way to rest. That leads to cravings,” she said.
“I don’t really need those chips, I’m just tired.”
Try to keep greens in the fridge at all times, and mix rice and dry beans with seasoning mixes and stocks to enhance flavours.
“Find the ones that you like;, don’t worry about the ones that are healthy that you hate,” Kaplan said.
“If you have something that works, do it every day instead of trying to be that person on a cooking show.”
