In the second half of next month I've got a one-off job helping set up this big make-shift dark age house for a historical festival over in Whitby. It'll be three days putting it up, then a week later two days putting it down. I'm gunna be paid £70 a day which is damned fantastic (will fund my subsequent travelling in Ireland which I will be starting immediately after). Though I am fairly strong naturally, but I'm worried I wont be able to cope with the work as I have never really done this kind of work atall, certainly never been a particularly active physically. I'm most worried I will strain or hurt something early on and then have to sit out the rest of it and not get paid, which would suck. That and I'm a bit (but less) concerned about whetehr I'll have sufficent stamina to work day in day out in that kind of work.I'd like to start preparing myself immediately so as not to let myself or my colleagues (who did this last year, wheras this is my first time) down. What can I do to reduce risk of any kind of injury and build up energy levels? (extra strength probably wouldnt hurt either though I guess I need to prioritise, I have 3 weeks!)Cheers!Owain
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Preparing myself for manual labour
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To be honest mate i wouldnt bother, to make any noticable increase in strength/performance is gonna take months.The chances are you will warm up doing lighter work before hitting the heavy stuff and the odds of acctually injuring yourself are slim as you wont be pushing yourself to the limit (as you would in a controlled enviroment such as the gym).If something is too heavy to lift get help from someone else, i would expect there to be a health and safety talk before work starts anyhow but respect your own abilities and dont be willing to pace yourself, you'll be ok.