I don't need no stinkin' gym membership. Making a snow mountain, sledding track and igloo is a full body workout :) And the bonus is my kids get to have fun on the fruits of my labor!
I have been constructing and maintaining a little sledding hill in the pasture behind our place. I started after a good snowfall by rolling up a bunch of huge snow balls (about 4' in diameter or so) and pushing them together, then packing snow around and on top of them.
After the initial giant balls phase (hmmm that may not have come out of my mouth right ;) most of the construction has been with bricks of compacted snow. I shovel snow into this blue tub and my big helpers jump up and down inside the tub to pack it down for me. A smaller snow brick like the above probably only weighs about 40 pounds or so, but when I pack the tub full it is heavy.
Just for fun, I always do a curl up with the tub of snow to chest level and then press it up over my head with arms extended while I walk it back to the snow mountain. I try to do reps of pushing it up and down above my head while I walk, although with the heaviest loads sometimes just holding it above my head is enough of a workout.
Planking!
The tub is an awkward shape with large diameter and smooth rounded edges even at the bottom. Just picking it up with snow gloves on is a fun challenge! Then I have to put it back down under control to avoid breaking the snow brick up on impact with the ground. I am telling you, this is an amazing full body workout.
It is pretty cool inside the igloo ;) The sound is muffled and strange, and it is very peaceful to lay back and look out at the snow covered mountainside. I am 5'8" and I can just stretch out head to toe fully inside the igloo.
Halfway through igloo construction - yes I used the giant balls technique for the base layer of the igloo as well. Giant balls are surprisingly versatile!
One awesome benefit of getting my full body workout in the back pasture with my kids is the breathtaking sunsets we get to enjoy. This is a significant upgrade from the views inside any gym I have ever visited :)
The sunsets paint the mountains glorious hues of peach and yellow.
And there is a horse, of course.
