I think you are being a bit harsh on Mark's suggestion. As you get older, some what weaker and gain a lot of weight it's proablly a good idea to use a heart rate (HR) monitor when taking a shit. I don't know Mark's fitness level but for a lot of seniors a brisk walk is something that needs to be trained up to.
Sure, you can find ways to do it that will work.
Great. Good idea.
And I don't know industrialplaid's fitness level. But I got the impression he's not a senior, and doing yard-work would probably not be challenging for him.
Hey, let's lay off the seniors. This one maintains his yard with an Austrian scythe. The other days, when he's not lifting a la Barbell Prescription, he gets his conditioning with HIIT workouts on a Concept2 rower.
Dang whippersnappers!
FFS, if you are capable of making an even halfway decent attempt at the Texas Method then leave tussling is not going to cut it. Light yard work provides nothing other than an absorption of a couple of calories. As Sean suggests yard work should not be challenging, logic says TM is better cardio than light yard work. If light yard work gave me a challenge I would be looking for pink dumbbells.
Oh, not to worry. I have done just that. The most recent iteration. Geezer's Long March Toward the Elite Sneaking Up On the Finish Line
Other instances were lower intensity than this, more like in the 70% range. We have 2 1/2 acres with a lot of trees. The trees shed branches of all sizes when there's a windstorm of any kind, which here in Southern Illinois happen 1 - 2 times a month. Then gathering them, cutting them up with an ax or hatchet, and finally burning them.
Then there's raking the what seem like a few tons of leaves up in the fall. Since most of our trees are maples and oaks, we get a bunch of those too. I use an old school fan rake instead of a new fangled blower.
It's not terribly challenging for the most part, but then LISS isn't intended to be.
But then I don't rely on JUST this as my only form of conditioning. I offered it up as an element of what the OP described was limited time for what he wanted to do strength wise and conditioning wise.
I mix in a higher intensity General Exercise Protocol every week or so along with rounds of a series of equipment like rowers, SciFit, Jacobs Ladder, tire flips, medicine ball tosses, the occasional elliptical trainer, work on the speed bag, the heavy bag, and the BoB. Then there's the twice a week I practice and teach Jujitsu. Now that the weather is improving, I'll be hiking more and getting out on the regional lakes with my kayak. It remains to be seen what, if any, conditioning value continuous practice of the Highland Games with no rest periods between throws and tossings will provide.
I'll have to leave the wearing of the monitor for taking a shit for those who choose not to try to challenge and tax themselves too much with performing mundane, repetitive, and for me, boring stuff.
I do read your log from time to time. Jujitsu or various other martial arts can definitely be good conditioning. Motor-cycle riding, even if it does spike your heart-rate, not so much. Heart-rate is a good measurement to keep in mind, but it's not enough by itself, or else watching horror movies or riding a roller coaster would be great conditioning for some people.
No, but it should be effective, which I don't believe it would be for the OP.It's not terribly challenging for the most part, but then LISS isn't intended to be.
Are you saying, with a straight face, that casual motorcycle rides on a sunny day, or slow walks to the water fountain between sets, don't count as cardio-pulmonary training? That these are not reasonable ways to develop serious cardio capacity? That wearing a heart rate monitor doesn't magically transform any and every activity into an endurance workout?
Are you suggesting that one might have to even slightly exert themselves to develop improved cardio?
How dare you.