physically damaging blue collar jobs vs. "healthy" fitness lifestyle ?? page 2

[RitaRose]

There's going to be a wide range of different jobs that still come under the "blue collar/manual labor" title.

Most are going to be better for your heart and lungs (assuming no toxins) but harder on your joints, but it is different for each one. Mine has me walking a whole lot, climbing in and out of a lifted truck, and pulling myself up on block walls so I can look over them. That kind of stuff is actually pretty healthy. My biggest health risks are pulling a muscle, coming into contact with some kind of bacteria (bum poop, bird poop, dog poop), stepping on a dirty needle, getting bit by a dog, twisting my ankle or getting in a traffic accident.

Now if I were doing repetitive work or using equipment that vibrates (jackhammers are brutal) - something like that - it's going to do a lot of damage.

[Neckhammer]

^ I agree "blue collar" is far too general of a term for what I think OP is getting at.

[Blanchy]

RitaRose, what is your job? That sounds like a pretty excellent day.

[RitaRose]

RitaRose, what is your job? That sounds like a pretty excellent day.

I read utility meters. Not too bad except for the bums and the junkies and the poop and the black widows and the snarling dogs and...

[Warmbear]

I work as a cabinet maker, I am on my feet all day, moving bending lifting and carrying often up to 300 lbs in one way or another all day. it gives me great upper body muscles. Not so broken by work, way broken by life though.

[WeldingHank]

working in autoparts. often unload 500+lbs of freight by hand every day, I love doing it. Now I find different ways to lift things to turn the whole thing into a small work-out.

I used to work on cars, lots of holding in a single position, also lots of bending over. I won't every do that again.

[OnlyBodyWeight]

big, huge difference between working out & being active, and working a construction job.

when i lift weights, i use perfect form and control tempo & function. when i volunteer with habitat for humanity and do house construction, i simply have far less control over angles, pressure, moment arms, body positioning, repetition, muscle recruitment... the job just needs to get done, and i'm often sore afterwards (not in the way i'd ideally want).

Seems like construction is much more Paelo and mov. natural (vs. contrived and limited ranges of motions in a gym)

Otherwise, good points:

• Recovery is a big factor (gotta work 5 days in a row)
• Repetitive strain is another (not an issus with paleo fitness)
• Inhaling and using toxic materials and contaminants