One of the most overlooked aspects to preparing for a disaster is the importance of physical fitness. Diet and exercise are more than tools to achieve weight loss. They are essential to endurance, clear thinking and physical health. As you are developing your overall survival strategies, make sure that you also dedicate time and effort to get in shape as well. It’s a process that involves discipline, a new way of thinking with respect to food and exercise, and it takes time. The last thing that you need is to be facing a life-altering survival situation without being physically and mentally ready to meet the challenge.
Are you ready to run away from danger? Can you chop wood? Will you be able to dig out of rubble? How will you assist your family? Can you hike for miles on end with a load on your back? These are just a few examples of limitless challenges that you may face if your life gets turned upside down.
The demands on the body during a crisis are extraordinary. Whether you will be bugging out and calling the wilderness your home or sheltering in place, the body will need to endure a lot more than it would under normal circumstances. Turning fat into muscle and replacing a sedentary lifestyle into one that is active will help to put you at a distinct advantage.
Exercise
Exercise builds muscle, burns fat and generates energy. It also promotes endurance, clear-thinking and helps to overcome negative emotions. It also helps to eliminate toxins while strengthening the heart and improving the transport of oxygen throughout the body. All of these are examples of things that are important for anyone who wants to be on top of their game when they are called into action.
The fitness routine that you decide to create should incorporate some aerobic as well as strength training exercises. Aerobics will quickly burn fat, strengthen your heart and improve your breathing. Strength training will build muscle and help you to endure when performing various heavy-duty activities. It’s important to focus on both as you get into shape.
The good news is that you don’t need to go to a gym or dance around while watching an exercise video on television. You can take long walks, hike in the woods a few times a week or do some jogging. For strength training, you can do manual labor. Chopping wood, carrying material and handling manual tools will quickly build muscle just as effectively as going to the gym.
The important thing is to do something, and to get started now. If you get a solid hour of pure exercise a day, six days a week, then your body will begin to transform itself within days. You will begin to notice changes in your energy level almost immediately and see physical improvements in about two weeks.
It doesn’t take long to get into shape, but as we all know, it does take a lot of discipline and patience. However, every minute that you spend exercising will produce benefits that will really pay off in the future.
Diet
Healthy eating is something that makes a lot of all-American, freedom-loving and red meat-eating guys nervous. However, eating well is not a sign of weakness. Developing a healthy diet produces strength, promotes health and improves mental clarity. Healthy bodies are more likely to resist infection, recover from injuries faster and beat back illnesses. Study after study has shown that eating fruits, veggies and whole grains can help to prevent disease from developing in the first place.
The trick to eating better is to choose foods more carefully. You don’t have to eliminate cabs, avoid certain meats or follow some kind of expensive program to eat healthy. Just do it. Add some fruits every day, make a nice salad. Start cooking with more natural ingredients and eat a lot of oats or cereal without tons of sugar. The more good things that you can incorporate into your diet will translate into better living, and you will start to notice a difference right away.
You will also notice that you eat a lot less junk food once you start feeding off of what nature provides. So, don’t go off the deep end and start some kind of nutritional bonanza while cutting out your favorite foods cold-turkey. Add good things to your diet and watch what happens over time. However, this also requires effort and discipline, and expect to take some time to adjust.
Both diet and exercise will transform your mind, body and attitude and give you a strong foundation that is essential for survival. Start now, and take advantage of all of the resources that are available because when the SHTF, your options may be very limited.
