Ian Handcock's top tips for staying farm fit

Ian Handcock says sitting in the tractor can result in tight hips. Photo / File

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Farming has changed over the years, which means staying active is more important than ever these days, Dargaville dairy farm manager Ian Handcock says.

Back in the day, just being a farmer was enough to keep physically fit but now it's easy to spend a lot of time sitting down, Handcock told The Country's Jamie Mackay.

This made it difficult to find time to be active, he said.

"With more admin time and more driving, more tractors and quad bikes, people have to work really hard to actually get that time in their day to get some physical fitness in.

Finding the time to get farm fit didn't "take much" as people generally only needed around 30 minutes a day, Handcock said.

"It's nothing in a day; we quite easily spend 30 minutes' on Wordle or TikTok … so it's a matter of just finding those little bites of a day when you should go and do something."

Taking the first step was often the hardest part but the secret was to "start small" and have realistic expectations, Handcock said.

"If you're overweight and it has taken you a long time to put that weight on, it will take you a long time to get it off – don't expect to go from 120 kilograms down to 90 and become really fit straight away.

"Just go for a walk. Take the dog for a walk. As you get fitter – you'll actually want to get fitter."

Creating a habit at the same time on the same day was also important, in particular with stretching, Handcock said.

"Before you get into the tractor try and do a couple of stretches, especially in your hips because with a lot of sitting down we get very, very tight hips and when you've got tight hips it tends to push you away from doing any fitness at all."

Including farm fitness into the day incidentally was a great way to build up those 30 minutes of physical activity, Handcock said.

This could be as simple as walking to get the cows in instead of driving,

"There's heaps of opportunities on-farm that's for sure."

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Ultimately keeping the body active helped with mental wellbeing, which was especially important for farmers dealing with the daily challenges of the job, Handcock said.

"If you're feeling a little stress and pressure - when you're fit and energetic - you can deal with it."

Being physically active was also a good way to alleviate stress as it built up, he said.

"If you're feeling bogged down, just put everything down, leave the phone alone and go for a walk, or a jog, or a horse ride or something, just get away from it – and then come back to it."

Handcock has helped Farmstrong produce videos designed to get farmers moving and avoid common injuries to backs, shoulders, hips and knees. Find out more on Farmstrong's website.