TABOR, Iowa — Justin Ewalt knew something needed to change.

“I got done coaching basketball in February, and it was a long season,” he says. “I had 500 calves on the farm, and the winter was really rough. I was just worn out.”

So the Fremont County farmer made the commitment to get himself into better shape. He hit the gym, started working out and started watching what he ate.

Ewalt and his wife Jamie farm near here in southwest Iowa. They grow corn and beans on about 1,000 acres, feed 400 cattle (owned and custom) and operate Waubonsie Ridge Beef, a farm-to-market business with stores in Tabor, Glenwood and St. Louis.

When he started his commitment to prioritize his physical conditioning, Ewalt, 47, weighed 245 pounds.

“I was overweight, and I needed to change something,” he says.

He switched his diet to a low carbohydrate program.

“I watched it like a hawk the next one to two months,” Ewalt says. “A decent amount of weight came off.”

Ewalt uses a circuit training approach, working out five days a week. Not only did he lose weight, but he also began to feel stronger.

“I need to do something like that because I have a bum knee that won’t let me run like a lot of people can,” Ewalt says.

The rigors of farming can put strain on the body, says Jenny Delavan, a physical therapist and clinic manager for Methodist Jennie Edmundson Physical Therapy in Glenwood, Iowa. She says farmers often just get to work without thinking about stretching and making themselves more ready to handle daily chores.

“Farmers are active, and of course activity is good,” Delavan says. “But a lot of it is the quality of activity you are getting. You may not be using the best mechanics, and that can cause wear and tear on your back and shoulders and other areas. Good mechanics will help reduce injury.”

She says stretching will benefit the body in several areas, including the back and trunk. That should also improve flexibility.

“Those calves tend to get tight when you're on your feet a lot, so stretching is really going to help that out,” Delavan says.

She says farmers deal with a lot of chronic back pain, and that can almost always be traced to tightness in the legs.

That is when we see a lot of injuries that can be attributed to overuse,” Delavan says. “The body is going to respond to better flexibility, especially if you have those injuries that come from a muscle or joint being overused.”

With harvest rapidly approaching, Delavan says farmers need to make it a priority to get out and stretch their legs frequently, or if the combine is large enough, stretch them out while harvesting.

“A quick little walk can do wonders,” Delavan says. “Walking is one of the best activities anyone can do.”

She says farmers also need to pay attention to how they are lifting things — one wrong twist can result in a serious injury.

Ewalt has lost roughly 50 pounds since his lifestyle change.

“I just feel so much better,” he says. “My energy during the day is 10 times better than it was before. Getting in and out of the skid loader is so much easier. I just jump in and go.”

Along with his farming duties, Ewalt also coaches boys’ basketball at nearby Fremont-Mills High School. His schedule is packed, but he makes time to work out.

“You really have to make it a priority for it to work,” he says. “People have noticed the improvement, and I just feel so much better. It can be difficult, but it's definitely worth it.”