When my husband and I first moved first to Omaha I was stunned by the endless rows of lush green lawns. In the summer here, almost every house, every park, practically every flat surface is covered with a lush, effortless carpet of bright green grass. It’s like lawn heaven compared to California, where every year my mom heroically cultivates a tiny meadow in the backyard.
The only problem is that the grass grows fast. And grows. And grows. And pretty soon, if you don’t get out there and mow, the grass is so long that you can’t find your one-year-old.
So obviously, when we moved into our house last fall we knew that mowing was part of the deal. And though our landlord provided us with a perfectly serviceable power mower, I was never too excited about using it–too loud and smelly, tempermental, greedy for gas and oil. But when spring arrived and the grass began to rise we knew some type of mowing had to happen. And fast. So after a little research, I was off to the hardware store–flashed the plastic and came home with a brand-new Fiskars Momentum reel lawn mower
Yes fans, you heard me right. A reel mower. The kind you have to push all by yourself.
And you know what? It’s awesome.
Now I know some of you out there probably share memories similar to mine when you think of a reel mower (I remember it taking about an hour of stop-and-go agony to mow ten square feet), but let me tell you: this mower is nothing like the clunky model I grew up with. While it’s never going to turn our lawn into a chessboard-patterned model of perfection, it does do a pretty damn good job. It’s quieter, greener and doesn’t take any longer than using a power mower. It’s actually kinda relaxing to use, believe it or not.
In fact, the only downside seems to be that you have to push it yourself, using (gasp!) your own legs. And naturally, after pushing a lawn mower up and down and around the lawn for an hour, you’re going to get a little sweaty. Shocking, I know.
Now personally, I can use more opportunities for exercise in my life, so I’m happy to get out there and use a little muscle. But people passing by are often slightly horrified amused to see me out there using a reel mower. And I’ve gotten more than one good-natured comment about how it “looks like I’m really getting a workout.” But I don’t mind. What scares me is our 200 lb neighbor chugging away on his ride-on power mower.
Let me spell it out for you people: sweat is good. Exercise is good. And, accoriding the the American Heart Association, seventy percent of us in this country don’t get enough of it. And sadly, all you really need to make a difference is moderate exercise 30 minutes a day, five times a week. So if mellow activities like walking or playing Wii tennis can actually lower blood sugars and fats, control weight gain and improve your mental health, you can imagine how bad-ass it is to spend an hour mowing your lawn. Yes, you will get sweaty. But when you come in after a mow, all sexy and glistening and high on endorphins, won’t it all seem worth it?
After all, sweat washes off. Coronary artery disease doesn’t.
Forget it, Doctor! There ain’t no way I’m mowing my lawn without gas. Gimme some other ideas for exercise.
When I was nineteen, I made a fabulous mix tape for my not-quite boyfriend. I spent hours forwarding and rewinding, looking for the perfect songs to construct an especially alluring mix. After all, this guy had brought me homemade beef jerky.