Post by Mike Crawley on Jun 9, 2014 12:18:10 GMT -8
By Dave Bailie
Would you leave you rifle out in the rain or watch your water supply turn green with algae?
Of course not you keep your preps squared away right?
So why would you let the most important piece of gear you own fall into disrepair?
The most important piece of gear you own is your body. We are only issued one per customer. Sometimes a body can be fixed but we can’t buy a new one. The body just so happens to carry around the single most important tool you own, your mind. If you’re serious about being ready shouldn’t your survival fitness rank near the top of your priority list? I will argue a fit body is a force multiplier for the preps and gear you already have in place. I also believe being fit can mean the difference between living and dying if you are caught completely unprepared.
I cannot envision a survival situation where being in shape would not be a substantial advantage. Can you split a winter worth of firewood? Haul 5 gals of water a couple miles? Drag a deer out of the woods? Fitness becomes more critical if the bullets start to fly. Your life could easily hinge on the ability to out maneuver the other guy. Fitness comes in handy if a retreat is in order too.
We are inundated with what fitness is supposed to look like, hard slim young bodies with white teeth. Survival fitness is functional fitness and bears no resemblance the guy or gal selling you the ab-o-matic belly buster. Survival fitness is a balanced blend of endurance, flexibility and strength. We are all stuck with a set of genes and years that ultimately limit those areas but we can all maximize what we have to work with.
Diet exercise weight loss blah blah blah, we don’t need to hear this we all know what needs to happen. Why is it so tough, we are so very diligent in so many ways. We get up and go to work every day, some hate theirs jobs but there they are every morning. We raise kids, no task for the faint of heart yet we do it selflessly. We bull our way thru tough projects and see them to completion, you would think fitness would be easy. As we know it’s not so here are few approach that might help you.
Forget weight loss, exercise and dieting at the same time is a recipe for failure. It like trying to give up drinking and smoking at the same time. Its no wonder so many fitness newbies only last a couple weeks. As you get fit you will lose weight as a side effect, but fitness is the goal not what the scale says.
Lighten up on yourself, guilt might get you started down the fitness road but won’t keep you on it. Don’t beat yourself up over a missed work out or an order of French fries, but continue to improve incrementally. Focus on your successes no matter how small not your lapses in discipline.
Start slow, how many years did it take for your body to reach the state it’s in now? Don’t expect to reverse all this in a few weeks or months. Set a reasonable time frame like maybe a year. Your body is an amazing thing but it needs time to change and adapt. A simple injury caused by too much too soon has taken down many would be fitness enthusiasts.
It’s going to hurt, learn to live with it. Getting and staying fit requires the ability to cope with physical discomfort and pain. Unfortunately the old no pain no gain is true. This like anything else can be learned but requires mental toughness. You already have that mental toughness just to get thru life, find a way to apply that to the pain. At some point you might even find you like it.
Listen your body, this is doubly true for those of us with a few years under our belts. It’s important for you to figure out what is normal hurt and something is really wrong pain. Myself I know which knee will hurt the first half mile of a run and then go away. I also know when I’ve been pushing it too hard and my body needs a day off even though it’s not on the calendar. This can only be learned by getting out there and doing it. Be warned when you are really tired and worn out is when you get hurt. Better to miss one work out then three weeks of work outs because you didn’t listen to your body.
Find something you enjoy doing and don’t be afraid to try other things. Exercise takes many forms so keep an open mind. An activity you were comfortable with before is a great place to start. That said be prepared to accept what worked great at 18 may not fly now. Accept this early and don’t look back. Mix up the things up if you get bored with one thing try another. Consider group exercises misery loves company.
If it fits in the budget don’t be afraid to invest in the right clothes, shoes or gadgets. The right clothes and shoes are important for performance and if it helps you feel better and work harder so much the better. If listening to music helps you get an I-pod, if you like seeing how far you have gone get a GPS watch. If it helps keeps you on track do it.
Very few of us are truly unable to improve our fitness. Patience, determination and toughness are required in large amounts. The good news if most of us have these traits we just need to apply them.
Get fit for survival.
Would you leave you rifle out in the rain or watch your water supply turn green with algae?
Of course not you keep your preps squared away right?
So why would you let the most important piece of gear you own fall into disrepair?
The most important piece of gear you own is your body. We are only issued one per customer. Sometimes a body can be fixed but we can’t buy a new one. The body just so happens to carry around the single most important tool you own, your mind. If you’re serious about being ready shouldn’t your survival fitness rank near the top of your priority list? I will argue a fit body is a force multiplier for the preps and gear you already have in place. I also believe being fit can mean the difference between living and dying if you are caught completely unprepared.
I cannot envision a survival situation where being in shape would not be a substantial advantage. Can you split a winter worth of firewood? Haul 5 gals of water a couple miles? Drag a deer out of the woods? Fitness becomes more critical if the bullets start to fly. Your life could easily hinge on the ability to out maneuver the other guy. Fitness comes in handy if a retreat is in order too.
We are inundated with what fitness is supposed to look like, hard slim young bodies with white teeth. Survival fitness is functional fitness and bears no resemblance the guy or gal selling you the ab-o-matic belly buster. Survival fitness is a balanced blend of endurance, flexibility and strength. We are all stuck with a set of genes and years that ultimately limit those areas but we can all maximize what we have to work with.
Diet exercise weight loss blah blah blah, we don’t need to hear this we all know what needs to happen. Why is it so tough, we are so very diligent in so many ways. We get up and go to work every day, some hate theirs jobs but there they are every morning. We raise kids, no task for the faint of heart yet we do it selflessly. We bull our way thru tough projects and see them to completion, you would think fitness would be easy. As we know it’s not so here are few approach that might help you.
Forget weight loss, exercise and dieting at the same time is a recipe for failure. It like trying to give up drinking and smoking at the same time. Its no wonder so many fitness newbies only last a couple weeks. As you get fit you will lose weight as a side effect, but fitness is the goal not what the scale says.
Lighten up on yourself, guilt might get you started down the fitness road but won’t keep you on it. Don’t beat yourself up over a missed work out or an order of French fries, but continue to improve incrementally. Focus on your successes no matter how small not your lapses in discipline.
Start slow, how many years did it take for your body to reach the state it’s in now? Don’t expect to reverse all this in a few weeks or months. Set a reasonable time frame like maybe a year. Your body is an amazing thing but it needs time to change and adapt. A simple injury caused by too much too soon has taken down many would be fitness enthusiasts.
It’s going to hurt, learn to live with it. Getting and staying fit requires the ability to cope with physical discomfort and pain. Unfortunately the old no pain no gain is true. This like anything else can be learned but requires mental toughness. You already have that mental toughness just to get thru life, find a way to apply that to the pain. At some point you might even find you like it.
Listen your body, this is doubly true for those of us with a few years under our belts. It’s important for you to figure out what is normal hurt and something is really wrong pain. Myself I know which knee will hurt the first half mile of a run and then go away. I also know when I’ve been pushing it too hard and my body needs a day off even though it’s not on the calendar. This can only be learned by getting out there and doing it. Be warned when you are really tired and worn out is when you get hurt. Better to miss one work out then three weeks of work outs because you didn’t listen to your body.
Find something you enjoy doing and don’t be afraid to try other things. Exercise takes many forms so keep an open mind. An activity you were comfortable with before is a great place to start. That said be prepared to accept what worked great at 18 may not fly now. Accept this early and don’t look back. Mix up the things up if you get bored with one thing try another. Consider group exercises misery loves company.
If it fits in the budget don’t be afraid to invest in the right clothes, shoes or gadgets. The right clothes and shoes are important for performance and if it helps you feel better and work harder so much the better. If listening to music helps you get an I-pod, if you like seeing how far you have gone get a GPS watch. If it helps keeps you on track do it.
Very few of us are truly unable to improve our fitness. Patience, determination and toughness are required in large amounts. The good news if most of us have these traits we just need to apply them.
Get fit for survival.