Eric Braun

1 month ago | farmprogress.com | Eric Braun

Living in the Houston metro area, I spend a lot of time trying to find ways to stay cool and safe when exercising outdoors in the summer. I suppose I could run on a treadmill, but I prefer running outdoors. The “dreadmill” is always my last resort. Alternatively, I don’t mind riding my bike indoors; convenience and safety are added motivation to stay inside. Temperatures have already reached 96 degrees F in May, with “feels like” temps hitting triple digits.

1 month ago | farmprogress.com | Eric Braun

Saying you are going to get fit and actually getting fit tend to be two different things. It’s all in the follow-through. Just like running your business on the farm, having a plan of action is important. And to get there, you need a clearly defined idea of what long-term success looks like. Settling on that depends on what you mean by fitness. You might want to just get fit enough to keep the doctor off your back. Some are looking for community. Others want to tackle a big, audacious goal.

Mar 26, 2025 | farmprogress.com | Eric Braun

Fitness technology has come a long way since the early days of step counters. Some of the people I know who’ve been running for a long time still track their runs the old-fashioned way, with pencil and paper. Choosing a fitness tracker can feel quite daunting with today’s technology, they can go from affordable and simple to expensive and complex very quickly. There are three basic categories of trackers that are commonly used — bands, rings and watches.

Feb 26, 2025 | farmprogress.com | Eric Braun

Deciding to get fit is one thing, getting started is another. Even harder than that is staying motivated to grind it out day after day. Because farm work isn’t a 9-to-5, five-days-a-week career, building healthy habits and sticking to them can be a challenge. Here are a few ways you can stay motivated, or at least push through when the motivation is a little low:1. Set reasonable goals.

Jan 29, 2025 | farmprogress.com | Eric Braun

Here at Farm Progress, we write a lot about mental health, and for good reason. These are not the easiest times to be in agriculture. But what about your physical health — staying fit even when you’re not active farming? Do modern farmers need to exercise more, despite working in a physically demanding occupation? The short answer: Yes, for two important reasons.