For the last week, I have been helping to re-roof a neighbor's house. It has not been easy! Not only is standing at an angle very uncomfortable, but it also uses muscles you did not even know you had! However, this may be better than a workout! Everyone who has made a New Year's resolution to work out more should just start doing construction instead.
FYI, the roof we put on was metal, which entails metal panels about 3 feet wide and 8-10 feet long. The roof was pretty steep on most of it, which makes it hard to keep the panels from sliding. I have illustrated these concepts below with my "excellent" art skills (which are at about preschool level).
3 ways Roofing is like exercise:
{1} Roofing is like Yoga. You are constantly stretching, kneeling, crouching to reach a stapler without having to move too far while holding a panel, doing the childs pose in order to screw in the panel you are holding down with your body, or doing a downward dog in order to hold down a panel without it slipping.
{2} Roofing is like aerobics. You are walking up and down the roof, hopping over things, running across the panels and best of all, crouching and standing, crouching and standing. I once took a salsa aerobics class in college. Let me tell you, roofing makes you twice as sore the next day!
{3} As shown above, roofing IS weight lifting! I must have screwed in several hundred screws over the past few days. This is no easy feat, since the metal panels are difficult to screw. You have to put some muscle into it. Well, when you don't have any arm muscles to speak of, this is HARD! My arm is like jello today! Just the right one though. Also, the panels don't (unfortunately) walk themselves from the ground to the roof. They have to be carried! This means military presses for everyone!
According to LoseIt, you burn 300 calories an hour by roofing x 8 hours = 2400 calories per day. It's like running a marathon! So, for all you January resolution makers, instead of joining a gym, go join Habitat For Humanity! It's cheaper AND it's a better workout.
Have you ever done any home improvement work? Did you like it? Were you sore the next day?
FYI, the roof we put on was metal, which entails metal panels about 3 feet wide and 8-10 feet long. The roof was pretty steep on most of it, which makes it hard to keep the panels from sliding. I have illustrated these concepts below with my "excellent" art skills (which are at about preschool level).
3 ways Roofing is like exercise:
{1} Roofing is like Yoga. You are constantly stretching, kneeling, crouching to reach a stapler without having to move too far while holding a panel, doing the childs pose in order to screw in the panel you are holding down with your body, or doing a downward dog in order to hold down a panel without it slipping.
{2} Roofing is like aerobics. You are walking up and down the roof, hopping over things, running across the panels and best of all, crouching and standing, crouching and standing. I once took a salsa aerobics class in college. Let me tell you, roofing makes you twice as sore the next day!
{3} As shown above, roofing IS weight lifting! I must have screwed in several hundred screws over the past few days. This is no easy feat, since the metal panels are difficult to screw. You have to put some muscle into it. Well, when you don't have any arm muscles to speak of, this is HARD! My arm is like jello today! Just the right one though. Also, the panels don't (unfortunately) walk themselves from the ground to the roof. They have to be carried! This means military presses for everyone!
According to LoseIt, you burn 300 calories an hour by roofing x 8 hours = 2400 calories per day. It's like running a marathon! So, for all you January resolution makers, instead of joining a gym, go join Habitat For Humanity! It's cheaper AND it's a better workout.
Have you ever done any home improvement work? Did you like it? Were you sore the next day?
Oh my that looks a tough workout!
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of home improvement projects but have done plenty of them. They are definitely a workout! Good work!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Home improvement stuff is amazing exercise. When we painted our entire house I was SO SORE from all the painting, reaching, stretching, up and down stairs etc. I'm sure roofing is 100x harder too! No wonder most construction workers have nice bodies ;)
ReplyDeleteLove your diagrams! I did two (week-long) service trips in college where we built houses or latrines, and it was a serious workout. I always felt like I should be squeezing in a run, but then was wiped out by the end of the day. What a great experience!
ReplyDeleteholy crap! Yea roofing is no joke. Good on ya for taking on the challenge.
ReplyDeleteHome improvement is some SERIOUS working out. I've never attempted roofing, though. With my coordination, I would probably kill myself.
ReplyDeleteLOL with a big smile on my face ! Yep - I've done many HIPs, including a bunch of roofing. With our first house (and 2 kids and little money) we re-roofed - with asphalt shingles. Not quite sure what we were doing but learned as we went along - we started (practised) on the back side of the house AWAY from the road - we were pretty good by the time we got to the front of the house ! And NO leaks either !
ReplyDeleteLast time we roofed was when I built a 10' x 20' cabin out back a couple of years ago. Wow, you're right about finding unused muscles. Ever carried a bundle of shingles up a ladder ? I think by day four I was able to walk upright again ;-)
Whoa I am crazy impressed that you helped roof a house. I am so not good at home improvement stuff!
ReplyDeleteI have volunteered for H4H and i am always SO sore the next day!! It's a great work out to do things like that!
Roofing projects is one of the most tiresome tasks that I have ever known. Actually, this is more tiring than actually exercising. Imagine the intense heat of the sun while moving back and forth on the top of the roof just to lay it down and install it, most especially if it has a low incline.
ReplyDelete- LeakProofRoof.net
Considering the materials you have to lift, nails to hammer, and heat of the sun makes roofing project very tiring, especially if you're not a professional roofer. It demands a lot of effort to finish it properly. The good thing about doing a roof project is that you are being productive.
ReplyDelete-Elizabeth Hoffnung @ Roof Pro Memphis
A roofing project is truly better than a workout. This is one of the most productive activities you can do. You'd be doing a lot of arm movements - toning your arms; lifting and stretching; squatting and more! A free workout while strengthening your house's first line of defense.
ReplyDelete-Kate Kriner @ AquaDuctRoofing
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