Strong Heart Recovery From Woodworking With Hand Tools

ByPaul Sellers

DSC_0146 Today I demoed hard. I didn’t sweat in a polo shirt but I was breathing harder after five minutes of full-stroke ripcutting. I carried on more. In the UK it’s less easy for me to sweat no matter how hard I work, run, ride or whatever. Anyway, then I planed hard and breathed harder still as I waited for the blood pumped to regroup in my arms and the lungs to keep the pumping going. This never happens on the tablesaw and the planer or the bandsaw for that matter. In fact I never get a workout on any machine at all that I can think of nor have I ever. It’s the same with so called power tools and I never got a workout with a chainsaw or a skilsaw or a jigsaw. Remember that they’re called ‘power’ tools because they don’t need your power at all. In fact I get more of a workout with a coping saw than any of these except there is a little weightlifting involved in lifting and placing them to task for a fraction of a minute every so often; and perhaps a little pushing them to task as they do the cutting. I say all of this because I next told the students that there was nothing at all wrong with breathing heavy from hard work nor was there anything wrong with machines either. DSC_0020 That it was indeed exceptionally good for me to get the workout from hand tools. Good for the heart and diabetes, the senses, the sensing wellbeing, the spirit and the spiritual wellbeing. All in all I personally feel better with upper body exercise like this much more than I do with running, skipping, jumping and so on. My heart pumps hard like this a dozen times a day in any given day.

I went on to say that there is nothing wrong with sweat and sweating, showering after work rather than before you can go to work seems good to me too. We all agreed and went back to work, but then this evening I received this letter I thought you might like to read so asked if I could post it for the benefit of the common good.

Hello Paul

It is mid morning here in Wyoming and I just returned from the cardiologist.

In several of your videos you talk about getting exercise while working the wood or “real woodworking.” I wanted to share a brief real life story to give support to your exercise being part of working the wood. In November 2012 I had a major heart attack and again in October of 2013 I had a second major heart attack. The result of the two left me with only 65% heart function. I went through the regular heart attack recovery rehab both times, except after the second heart attack I returned to hand wood working. I went back to the doctor this morning for a full run of tests and the doctors were surprised that my heart function is now at 90% plus. They wanted to know what I had been doing to improve so drastically. I told them of the wood working, mainly using the plane (no 4 and 41/2). They asked me more details and I explained just what working the wood entailed. The three heart specialist from the University Of Utah Cardiology determined that it was the working of the wood that had increased my heart function to where it is today. I feel better and stronger now than I have in the last 40 years. So Paul, keep telling people about the exercise we get while working the wood. Now you have some medical evidence to support what you have been and are saying about the benefits of working the wood.

Blessings Jim

You know, even if I was wrong in what I have felt for years about hard physical work – and I’m not – just doing it yourself brings with it that sense of wellbeing you cannot buy. It’s always worth doing it yourself because no one benefits more than you do.

13 Comments

  1. Having had a heart attack myself, this totally resonates with me. When I get to planing, I keep a towel nearby (Chicago can get mighty hot and steamy). There’s no doubt that woodworking with hand tools can be quite a good workout!

  4. Jim, I know exactly what you mean… I have recurring/remitting MS and walking (on my good days) and hand tool woodworking are about my only forms of exercise. Just wondering: what part of Wyoming are you in? I live in Lander. Best wishes for your continued recovery!

  5. I had one Oct 9, 2010. Still alive! As soon as winters over I have a few things I need to get doing, and building things with my hand tools is a huge part of that.

  7. Learning from Paul on how to work wood with hand tools has enriched my life in ways I can not begin to describe. Paul, you are the man!

  8. I have a very silmilar story, bypass operations, heart attacks, stroke, and diabetes. I only have to strain my eyes and I start to sweat…. But I love the feeling of the reward of the ‘workout’ I’m following. I feel it has helped my upper body gain strength and increase my range of motion. I have since started to ‘simplify’ my life, and hand tool woodworking helps. It helps with mental focus ( measuring, calculating), physical endurance and strengh (ripping 2″ oak onto 24″ long strips….) and general wellbeing and sense of accomplishment Paul talks about. Thank you Jim for submitting the letter, we’ve each got our own stories and thank you for sharing a bit of yours. thank you to Paul and everyone that helps make it happen. Get your blood pressure checked!!!
    BrianJ

  9. Im only 44 yrs old I’m still young in a sense but I suffer from back and neck pain, I plane and can barely walk after, I rip and my back wants to rip me but I’m back at it every morning till the sun goes down because I love what I do.

  10. Great post, I to have a heart condition and also I am a diabetic on the insulin pump. This is another reason I choose to work with hand tools. I have had many Surgery’s over the years including back surgery which is another reason I love Paul’s taller bench.

    Steve

  11. I was overweight by 6 or so stones. No heart problems yet, but since I decided to lose weight, I altered my diet, and I did as much hand work as I could in the shop. (I do have arthritis which puts some hand tasks beyond me.) Heavy planes play havoc with my hands, but then it reminded me; keep the irons sharp, so less effort is required, for the same results. However I am steadily losing the weight. I also have a brisk walk three times a week in addition to my woodwork-outs! I feel great. and I can also get into the warehouse coat (cow-gown) I used to wear in the shop. No more wearing old clothes, in case of glue accidents etc. I can look as dapper as a shop foreman all day long! Cheers. J. (75 and still going strong)

  12. I suspected that woodworking with handtools might be healthy because of your own sprightliness Paul. But good to hear a supporting example. Something to reassure the wife 🙂 Part of the reason I got into woodworking was to give my hands a change of activity, as I was just starting to notice problems after decades of hammering away at computer keyboards. It seems to have done the trick – touch wood! 😉

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