Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Prepper Fitness

Fitness is important for a healthy lifestyle. It is even more important for someone who believes in preparedness and self-reliance. Erin talked about fitness a while back on the Gunblog Varietycast, and Sean and Adam touch on it each week. (You don't listen? You need to. Everyone on there is sharp, folks.) I'd like to expand on the thoughts they've shared.

Fitness, in a prepper sense, doesn't mean becoming Mr. Universe. Fitness instead leans toward the ability to pick up a pack and walk a couple miles without being entirely spent, or help move an injured person, or in general be able to readily and successfully employ the skills we teach here. A major part of my motivation for this is because I can feel my own fitness lagging, so I wanted to share that area of my prepping with you.

The benefits of improved fitness are numerous. In addition to being able to shoulder and haul more gear, you'll live longer and better. Fit folks are less susceptible to injury and heal faster, and improved fitness can mitigate other health concerns. As your fitness improves, you will become more of an asset and less of a liability and resource consumer to your tribe.

If looking like the cover of Men's Health isn't the metric of fitness, what is? Pulse, blood pressure, and weight are all good places to start and simple to measure and track. If your health is questionable, a visit to your doctor is the best place to start. If you're like me, you can start by being more active as well as paying attention to what you eat.

You don't have to be a gym rat, either. Take the dog for a walk, or take your significant other or kids for a bike ride. Set goals so that you have something to work for. Have a partner, so that on the days that you lack motivation, someone else can keep you honest and get you moving. Track your progress. Make a bulletin board and regularly note how far you've come, and take pride in your successes.

Me? My goal is my first 5K in June, with a partner who will definitely keep me moving.

Prep your body to keep up with your mind!


Lokidude

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