In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Cutting, Splitting and Stacking firewood is good for the heart

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by Minnesota Marty, Jan 7, 2015.

Page 1 of 2
  1. Minnesota Marty

    Minnesota Marty

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2014
    Messages:
    721
    Likes Received:
    2,497
    Location:
    Eastern Minnesota
    The first weekend in September I thought I had a upper respiratory chest infection from my seasonal allergies. I went to Minute Clinic to get some drugs to get rid of it. This nice nurse told me I don't have a chest infection and that I should go to Urgent Care or the ER. So, still being in denial, I went to Urgent Care and this nice young doctor said he wanted to take a EKG on my heart. After the EKG that nice young doctor said, " Sir, you are the same age as my father... and if my father was setting here I would tell him to get to the ER." My reply was, "so your telling me the freight train is coming at me and I need to get the hell out of the way". He replied, "you got it"
    So, needless to say, I went to the ER and suffered Congestive Heart Failure. I spent 2 days in the hospital and I had the biggest wake up call of my life.
    Poor eating habits, no structured exercise program and too much sodium resulted in Injection Fraction of 35 (the quantitative score of the hearts ability to pump blood to the body) normal is between 55 and 65. Nobody is 100.
    So, the reason I am telling this is this site has helped me get back to the great exercise of cutting, splitting and stacking firewood. So, since about the 15th of September I have spent about an hour a day cutting, splitting (with wedges and a 5, 8 and 10lb maul) and stacking firewood. I used to own a gas splitter but now I just spend an hour a day with the exercise of C,S,S firewood.
    Last week I had a recheck of my heart with a Eco-cardiogram and today I went in the get the results and I scored a 60 as my Injection Fraction. All in all, in about 100 days to C,S,S with a low salt sensible diet, some weight loss I got things headed in the right direction. I still have a ways to go but the future looks a lot better. I still might be looking at heart valve replacement surgery in the next 5 years but if I can get in good shape I will be able to come thru open heart surgery. So, being 61 years old I hope it is not too late.
    Again, thanks for the great encouragement and discussions about this great obsession.
     
    Minnesota Marty, Jan 7, 2015
    #1 Top
    Paul bunion, macpolski, reelcrzy and 30 others like this.
  2. CoachSchaller

    CoachSchaller

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2014
    Messages:
    805
    Likes Received:
    3,049
    Location:
    Southeast Michigan
    way to go!!!!
     
    CoachSchaller, Jan 7, 2015
    #2 Top
    Minnesota Marty and wildwest like this.
  3. bigbarf48

    bigbarf48

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2014
    Messages:
    2,344
    Likes Received:
    4,701
    Location:
    Stone Mountain, GA
    Awesome story. Glad to hear you're on the right track now, and I hope all goes well for you in the future. :drunk:

    I guess firewood literally is good for the heart :D
     
    bigbarf48, Jan 7, 2015
    #3 Top
    revver6, Minnesota Marty, Paula and 3 others like this.
  4. Driver

    Driver

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2014
    Messages:
    280
    Likes Received:
    1,158
    Location:
    Vinton,Va
    Glad to here it. Good to know our firewood addiction is good for the heart.:saw::axe::yes:
     
    Driver, Jan 7, 2015
    #4 Top
    revver6, Minnesota Marty, Backwoods Savage and 1 other person like this.
  5. fox9988

    fox9988

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    2,709
    Likes Received:
    8,275
    Location:
    NW Arkansas 72717
    Keep it up Marty, sounds like you are making some big improvements to yourself and the wood stack.
     
    fox9988, Jan 7, 2015
    #5 Top
    Minnesota Marty, Backwoods Savage and wildwest like this.
  6. My IS heats my home

    My IS heats my home

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2013
    Messages:
    7,394
    Likes Received:
    17,655
    Location:
    Albany, NH
    Great story Marty. Glad you are getting yourself back into shape and that C,S,S is helping to do that.
    Keep up the good work!
     
    My IS heats my home, Jan 7, 2015
    #6 Top
    Minnesota Marty and Backwoods Savage like this.
  7. OhioStihl

    OhioStihl

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2013
    Messages:
    1,562
    Likes Received:
    9,207
    Location:
    Southern Ohio
    That is great news. You should open a gym and make all the members c-s-s.
     
    OhioStihl, Jan 7, 2015
    #7 Top
    Backwoods Savage, cnice_37, mike bayerl and 1 other person like this.
  8. Minnesota Marty

    Minnesota Marty

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2014
    Messages:
    721
    Likes Received:
    2,497
    Location:
    Eastern Minnesota
    Ohiostihl,
    yeah I can just see it. Charge for the gym membership and have your firewood c,s,s for you. LOL
     
    Minnesota Marty, Jan 7, 2015
    #8 Top
    UncleJoe, Backwoods Savage, OhioStihl and 1 other person like this.
  9. Hellbent

    Hellbent

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2014
    Messages:
    180
    Likes Received:
    434
    Location:
    North Central Kansas
    Marty, that is inspiring! I'm happy to hear your doing so well! I always thought firewood was more than just heat, good for body and soul!
     
    Hellbent, Jan 7, 2015
    #9 Top
    Minnesota Marty and Backwoods Savage like this.
  10. HDRock

    HDRock

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    17,248
    Likes Received:
    60,350
    Location:
    Grand Blanc, MI,
    That's great man :thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:
    Thanks for sharing :)
     
    HDRock, Jan 8, 2015
    #10 Top
    Minnesota Marty and Backwoods Savage like this.
  11. bogydave

    bogydave

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2013
    Messages:
    10,313
    Likes Received:
    37,218
    Location:
    Alaska, North of Anchorage & South of Fairbanks
    Great story
    Processign fire wood has many benefits.
     
    bogydave, Jan 8, 2015
    #11 Top
    Minnesota Marty likes this.
  12. mr.finn

    mr.finn

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2014
    Messages:
    603
    Likes Received:
    2,625
    Location:
    Mass
    Good for you!! Keep it up.
     
    mr.finn, Jan 8, 2015
    #12 Top
    Minnesota Marty likes this.
  13. dgeesaman

    dgeesaman

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2014
    Messages:
    662
    Likes Received:
    1,952
    Location:
    Elizabethtown, PA
    Well done man, well done.
     
    dgeesaman, Jan 8, 2015
    #13 Top
    Minnesota Marty likes this.
  14. Chopy

    Chopy

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2014
    Messages:
    467
    Likes Received:
    1,860
    Location:
    Upstate NY
    Good for you to find out and do something about it before the train hit you. I have a friend who is a Chef and she pays a personal trainer $25.00 per hour. I tell her all the time come split some wood with me 3 times a week for a couple of hours, you can get rid of the personal trainer and I won't charge you anything. We would both win but she is set in her ways.
     
    Chopy, Jan 8, 2015
    #14 Top
    HDRock, Ralphie Boy, Backwoods Savage and 3 others like this.
  15. billb3

    billb3

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2013
    Messages:
    10,318
    Likes Received:
    53,269
    Location:
    SE Mass
    Can't split any more cuz of my back so took up pushing my weight on a bike - a real one outdoors in the street. Got up to 8 miles every (dry) evening before DST ended.
    Replace as much sedentary life as possible with some kind of exercise that you enjoy.
     
    billb3, Jan 8, 2015
    #15 Top
    HDRock, Ralphie Boy, dgeesaman and 2 others like this.
  16. Minnesota Marty

    Minnesota Marty

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2014
    Messages:
    721
    Likes Received:
    2,497
    Location:
    Eastern Minnesota
    Chopy and billb3,
    You both are spot on, a physical impairment like a bad back limits some forms of exercise so we need to find something that can work. Paying the personal trainer is for some people necessary. But, when you realize that you have to change or you won't be around it is a wake up call. Our bodies need activity and the bad weather makes it tough. When the weather gets above zero I am going to resume my splitting just the last 4 days have been brutal. Biking when the roads clear up a little does sound like another alternative. Not sure I could do 8 miles right away.
    Thanks for the compliments.
     
    Minnesota Marty, Jan 8, 2015
    #16 Top
    Chopy and Backwoods Savage like this.
  17. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    46,924
    Likes Received:
    295,479
    Location:
    Central MI
    Marty, thanks for posting that. It could be a wake-up call for many folks.

    I was pleasantly surprised a couple days ago when I went to our wholistic doctor for a massage. I have to strip to the waist and usually she comes in after I've laid onto the table. She was there this time and as I took my shirt off she was just full of compliments and had to ask what I've been doing to lose so much weight. Well, to be honest, the weight is still there but I've gotten rid of a lot of excess fat.

    Most times it can be pretty difficult for me to get around which limits the amount of exercise I can get. When the weather is warm, I do ride bike but try my best to not limit myself to 8 miles. I like to put in from 100-200 miles per week in the summer. That helps greatly. But come fall, it is hunting time and I don't get a lot of exercise and every year it shows. We normally begin cutting wood around December 1 and this year was no exception. Boy oh boy did I ever have to go slow cutting this year because of my body but with the weather so favorable, we cut most days the first 3 weeks of December. Now that exercise does show and I hope I can keep the fat and pounds off so that come spring and bike riding I don't have to carry around a lot of extra weight.

    So here is my main exercise. (That is my wife in the picture just getting ready to load up another load.)
    12-22-14b.JPG

    Woodpile 12-31-14a.JPG

    Woodpile 12-31-14b.JPG

    And finally, my summer exercise tool. I'm aiming for 4,000 miles this year.
    CA-2.JPG
     
    Backwoods Savage, Jan 8, 2015
    #17 Top
    revver6, HDRock, Ralphie Boy and 1 other person like this.
  18. Minnesota Marty

    Minnesota Marty

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2014
    Messages:
    721
    Likes Received:
    2,497
    Location:
    Eastern Minnesota
    Dennis,
    How do you like the recumbent? I have visions of grandeur to someday getting to that level. Right now its just making sure I get the hour walk, hour of splitting wood or an hour on the stationary bike (not as nice) but still does the get you moving. Since, I still work and run my own business I just need to make the time. I am trying to do 2 hours on Saturday and Sunday when I do have the time.
    Thanks for your kind remarks.
     
    Minnesota Marty, Jan 8, 2015
    #18 Top
  19. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    46,924
    Likes Received:
    295,479
    Location:
    Central MI
    Marty, I rode a regular bike for many years but had to give it up because of physical ailments. More precisely, my neck was the worst. It got to the point I could not look up to see down the road which meant I could only stare at the front wheel. Then my wrists, elbows and shoulders began taking a terrible beating and lots of tendonitis.

    I had looked at recumbents (there are hundreds of different styles) for many years and I finally had to make the change. Like most things, it was not long before I wondered why I had waited so long. No more neck, wrist, elbow or shoulder problems at all and I can see a lot more than I ever could when riding a diamond frame bike. One thing though is that there is a learning curve, albeit extremely low. There are a couple tricks to learn how to start with this type of bike and it does make it easy. In addition, no more sore butt. I still laugh at that one day it was quite hot but a beautiful day for riding. I got home around 6:00 that evening and my neighbor was here pushing a couple trees over with his tractor. (It was planned but no date set) I pulled into the driveway and then handed off the bike to my wife. I grabbed the chain saw because one would not push over. It had to be funny; that day I rode just a tad over 100 miles and here I was with a chain saw in my hand. I felt like I could have easily rode another 50 miles but did stop. That was one great day. I even stopped after about 50 miles and got an ice cream cone. Nice!

    Should you decide to get something, please let me know and perhaps I can be of some help.
     
    Backwoods Savage, Jan 8, 2015
    #19 Top
    HDRock and Minnesota Marty like this.
  20. Machria

    Machria

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    2,426
    Likes Received:
    4,983
    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Awesome!! I LOVE processing wood for the same reason! It's one of the few ways left I get any exercise anymore, and I enjoy it, and get free heat from it!

    Backwoods Savage, I can't believe you haven't replaced that bike seat with a milk crate ???

    Backwoods Bike.jpg
     
    Machria, Jan 8, 2015
    #20 Top
    reelcrzy, Backwoods Savage, Chopy and 2 others like this.
Page 1 of 2