Sure, of course it’s different. It’s much safer, you can get much more variety of motions and routines, you can take a day off or stop early if you need to, you can listen to a podcast, read a book or watch tv.
Manual labor is not just about getting physical exercise.
I go to the gym every day and take it very seriously, but it’s a different thing. Just like doing sudoku can’t take the place of an intellectually stimulating job.
