A new man – either John McCain or Barack Obama – will learn next year how demanding it is to be president and stay in shape.

Presidents of previous generations didn’t go for a jog – they did work. For instance, 30th president Calvin Coolidge chopped wood.

Feel closer to the nation’s forefathers by trying a few of these exercises.

Unless otherwise noted, the calorie burns are for a 180-pound person doing the activity for an hour. We found them at CaloriesPerHour.com.

1. Caulking a log cabin: 402 calories. You think Abe stayed slim by hiring out?

2. Writing while standing: 188 calories. Granted, not tons of calories burned. But think how much cooler John Adams looked holding a feather pen and standing than he would have sitting at a computer.

3. Horseback riding. Think Teddy Roosevelt. With 220 pounds on his 5-foot-10 frame, he’d burn 399 calories. If he put his pony to a gallop, he could’ve burned 798.

4. Piano playing. Harry S. Truman (5-foot-8, 165 pounds) would’ve burned 187 calories playing the piano for an hour.

5. Chopping wood. Calvin Coolidge chopped a lot, at least when visiting his dad in Vermont. Wielding an ax: 490.