PERSONAL FITNESS, THE CORNERSTONE OF PREPAREDNESS
Photo: Greg Rosenke @greg_rosenke
How fit are you right now? Do you exercise everyday, once a week, never? How long can you run for? How much can you carry on your back and for how long? How fit are the other people in your family or group?
So much information on prepping and survival, almost none of it talks about the physical reality of these scenarios. By these scenarios I mean the standard SHTF stuff. Grid down, WW3, civil unrest, natural disaster, extended emergency...
Have you ever really stopped and considered how physically taxing multiple days of SHTF will be for you and members of your family or group? Now would be the time to do so if you haven't already. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself the hard questions. How fit are you? Physical strength, endurance, mental fortitude, stamina…
Everyone has their bug out bags, guns and ammo, their survival retreats. How many of you have tried walking 20KM a day through wilderness carrying all your supplies, water, kids. Have you considered it may be winter, snow past your knees?
My point is the sexy prepper stuff is all about the gear and gadgets, and I get that. I love the "stuff" too. But I think a lot of people in the prepper / survival world need to re-evaluate their own personal fitness and the fitness of the people they will be with. If you are not fit, now is the time to start. Here are some tips to get you going.
If you smoke, quit now. This will aid your health, save you money, and break an addiction to a substance that could be hard to find in a true SHTF scenario.
If you drink, quit or cut back. Again, health benefits, savings, break addiction.
Take control of your diet. Stop eating crap. Learn about your ideal bodyweight and plan your marco-nutrients (Carbs / proteins / fats) around this.
Start lifting heavy things. Weights, sandbags, kettle bells. There is so much science around the positive benefits of strength training that you can not over look this. It is the key (plus what you eat).
Start doing long walks or hikes with your bug out bag. Aim for at least 25lbs and a few kilometres. Slowly increase both over time. As a goal: carry 55lbs over mixed terrain for 14km or more. Don't forget your water.
Do physical labour. Chop a cord of wood, dig a ditch, roof a house, shovel your own snow, plant a garden. The more you train your body and mind to the reality of physical work, the easier it becomes.
Start running. If you do not run, start by walking. Gradually increase your walking pace and distance. Add in segments where you run. Slowly build up to being able to run for as long as you can, then walk until you catch your breath. Then run again. After a while set small goals of running none stop for a km or two. Then add more, or try to do it in less time. Running is all about momentum. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.
Encourage other people in your family to take up healthy habits too. Train together, hike together, run together.
One of the biggest benefits from regular hard exercise ( aside from fat loss / muscle gain) is that you build mental and physical resilience. The ability to push through something difficult can not be overlooked. The mental fortitude that you train into yourself is what could push you to stay alive when times get tough. The mind is a muscle that needs strength training too.
Anyone serious about survival has to be serious about being physically fit and healthy. Personal fitness is the cornerstone to staying alive in any true SHTF survival situation.
One of my personal favourite websites is darebee.com. Here you will find a wealth of information on fitness, strength training, combat sports, and so much more. Get moving!
Northern Survivalist