How important is Physical Fitness

[Meyer]

One thought is to hike a certain course with you BOB or backpack and see how you do and how you feel.

It is one thing to hit the elliptical in brand new tennis shoes after work for 30 minutes. Quite another to go for a hike with 30 lbs on your back.

Just doing it is the first step. Will be eye opening and motivational too.

I think the Warrior Dash type events are good too. If fitness is becoming a grind mix it up to keep motivated. There are some really good areas to mountain bike around Indiana, etc.

 

[indiucky]

I know this may seem simplistic but as someone approaching the big 50 with a half a pack a day habit and a notoriously bad diet...(I have heard of fruits and vegetatables and sometimes when my wife gets on me about it I will eat a bag of Fritos) I have started a walking regime...We just got a Mountain Cur dog and I try to do 10,000 steps a day which comes out too 5 miles or so...

The key is to do it daily...I have dropped a few pounds since starting it and feel much better...My cell phone has a built in pedometer and I use it to monitor my progress....I stretch as well, walk up and down the stairs quite a bit, jumping jacks and about 50 curls with 15 pound dumb bells a day on each arm...

I feel better and my endurance has improved....

 

[Bendrx]

Just another thought....make sure you still have some body fat - you body stores it for your benefit. As said before you need a base level of strength but endurance is king. Personally I'm down 80# in the last year and still have a ways to go but I could never ever do a single pull up in my life. Just found out 2 weeks ago I can do 3 over hand or 4+ with a 90 degree grip. What that means is I can pull myself up to look over a wall 3 times assuming I don't have a pack on. That doesn't mean I can get myself over the wall yet. Might need to try that. You need only enough strength IMO to carry yourself and your gear without over stressing yourself. You SHOULD have the ability also carry, or assist another in carrying them or their gear. Maybe being able to carry your gear 20 miles in a day is enough, but you should have enough "reserve ability" that you could help carry another person (think injured) or thier stuff (Think exhausted) for maybe 5 miles. All just my opinions as there is no real answer. Also keep in mind that the harder your working, your endurace decreases exponetianlly. A 20% increase in effort/exersion may mean you can only perform that tast for 50% of the time. (These numbers are just my guestimate, I would be surprised if the real numbers are actually gloomier)
Look at me, first post in at least a year!

 

[romad7]

But to what degree? I'm relatively healthy but I'm not about to run a marathon. I am really just looking for standard if there is any.

A good standard is that the mission dictates gear.

If your plan is to hunker down in one place and stay within a mile of your base then you need to be able to carry the necessary gear for short trips and be able to run a mile fairly quickly if the need arises to get back to camp quickly.

If your plan is to stay mobile for extended periods of time then you need to carry a lot more gear for longer distances.

So figure out what your "mission" will be and what gear you will need and what physical activities you will need to accomplish while carrying that gear and train for that.

Training for specific activities is a good thing but the more in shape that you are in general, the better you will be able to adapt to changing missions. So don't limit yourself, maybe you'll never need to run a marathon but being able cover that distance walking with your entire life on your back might be a good skill to have if the need ever come up.

 

[boosteds13cc]

Fitness plays a huge role in survival, more lean fit rather than extremely bulky

 

[Blackhawk2001]

The corollary to all of the above is that you need to keep at your physical fitness regimen. As I've gotten older, I've gotten less active. I remember the vast surprise I felt the first time I tried to vault a wall and couldn't get more than waist high on it. The less you exercise, the more likely you're going to hurt yourself when you begin again, and, as you get older, the more often you injure yourself attempting to train, the less likely you're going to get back to the level of training you'd achieve before.

 

[Guitargallegos]

Thank for all the responses! I've recently been working out and trying to reach some of those benchmarks. I'm now trying to ramp up the weight and the duration. I will put more emphasis on endurance, it sounds like the key to most of these situations (being able to outlast the threat).

 

[Dragon]

Thank for all the responses! I've recently been working out and trying to reach some of those benchmarks. I'm now trying to ramp up the weight and the duration. I will put more emphasis on endurance, it sounds like the key to most of these situations (being able to outlast the threat).

Set goals for yourself. Monthly, annually, or whatever they may be. You will begin to see how far you can push yourself and also what you're capable of achieving. Once you break some of those barriers, not much else will be able to stop you or your progress.

 

[irishfan]

Just another thought....make sure you still have some body fat - you body stores it for your benefit. As said before you need a base level of strength but endurance is king. Personally I'm down 80# in the last year and still have a ways to go but I could never ever do a single pull up in my life. Just found out 2 weeks ago I can do 3 over hand or 4+ with a 90 degree grip. What that means is I can pull myself up to look over a wall 3 times assuming I don't have a pack on. That doesn't mean I can get myself over the wall yet. Might need to try that. You need only enough strength IMO to carry yourself and your gear without over stressing yourself. You SHOULD have the ability also carry, or assist another in carrying them or their gear. Maybe being able to carry your gear 20 miles in a day is enough, but you should have enough "reserve ability" that you could help carry another person (think injured) or thier stuff (Think exhausted) for maybe 5 miles. All just my opinions as there is no real answer. Also keep in mind that the harder your working, your endurace decreases exponetianlly. A 20% increase in effort/exersion may mean you can only perform that tast for 50% of the time. (These numbers are just my guestimate, I would be surprised if the real numbers are actually gloomier)
Look at me, first post in at least a year!

I agree pretty much with everything you said. I'd rather be in good physical shape and have endurance to accomplish tasks that will be presented to me rather then looking great at the beach. My goal is to get to around 185lbs but to have fitness goals to match that. In reality getting back to 170 would be even better but I'd start looking border line eating disorder at that point

 

[kml]

Probably some of the best post I've seen in my short time on INGO! GREAT information in this thread!

As others have said, we are all different and some times things happen but whatever your physical abilities just keep yourself moving to that ability and pushing yourself to do a little more next week.

The metric I use for my self is actually moving around in the woods. If that's something you hope to be able to do someday, load up a pack and get yourself from point A to point B. If that's not something you've done much of in your life it's really good physical and mental exercise. Cross terrain navigation is very different than even the most "spirited" hike on known, maintained trails. Instead of just walking you have to figure out how best to get there without getting hurt, soaking wet, or lost. Also a comfortable weight pack on a trail gets awkward and heavy when your dragging it through brush and over dead falls. Besides, unlike a lot of conditioning programs, quitting when you're halfway through isn't usually an option. That can be either motivating or extremely depressing. It's also not something that you want to find your weaknesses on when it's real.

Again, others have mentioned this but it's a REALLY big deal- one serious threat to inactive people when forced to extreme exertion is injury. If your muscles and joints aren't used to moving they are very easily damaged. Imagine going through your preferred SHTF scenario....Now imagine it with a bad ankle sprain. We used to joke that sneakers and crutches must be standard issue in boot camp these days 'cause that's all you seem to see. Those are teenagers - it doesn't get better when you get older! Lower extremity injury is more than just annoying when the world isn't playing nice.

Anything you do to increase your overall fitness is great. Those obstacle type races seem like a blast and great training. Might have to try one some day..I'd suck, but I'd like to try!

As others have mentioned "muscle bound" gym rats falling out due to lack of stamina. What can be really hard for a lot of those guys is the psychological whipping they give themselves after the 160Lb guy from Iowa, or 140lb Puerto Rican kid hauls their gear for them for a few miles to keep everyone moving. It can flat take the wind right out of their sails. Losing the ability to believe you can make it through something is about the worst thing that can happen to you. Guns, gear, and 16" biceps ain't gunna help you if you're sitting in the corner wishing things did't suck.

 

[Echelon]

I can't believe after three pages, no one has said it, so I will.



Zombieland Rule #1: CADRIO

 

[AA&E]

If you want practical usable strength and do not already have a solid base, look up a program called RipToes Starting Strength.

 

[armedindy]

if you cant run a mile with your rifle or kick two guys azzes at the same time, you need to do more push ups and jogging

disclaimer: im pretty sure i cant do these things either, soooo thanks for the reminder

 

[iChokePeople]

If you want practical usable strength and do not already have a solid base, look up a program called RipToes Starting Strength.

Good suggestion, but just a minor correction for those trying to find it, it's "Starting Strength" by a guy named Mark Rippetoe.

 

[scoutsniper]

I can't believe after three pages, no one has said it, so I will.

View attachment 27093

Zombieland Rule #1: CADRIO

+1 i dont have to outrun the zombies/threat i just gotta outrun the fat/lazy people.

 

[Khazik]

Not sure if anyone is still paying attention to this thread, so.... I'M REVIVING IT!

What I've gone through a number of times, I believe I'm on No. 5 now, is what I like to call "Breaking Bad". Due to lazyness twice, and injury 3 times, I go a long period of at least 6 months or so of no physical activity. The first day I get active, start lifting, maybe a short jaunt down the road and back, pushups, etc... start moving my body from anything other than sleeping, standing, & walking, I get a few symptoms: light headed, trembling weakness after exertion, even nauseousness if I dont pace myself, during the workout. It's like 'standing up too fast'. My body isn't used to all the blood circulation and activity, so this is what happens during the workout. For 5 days after "Breaking Bad", my muscles are completely sore, to the point of weakening/painful soreness if I did it right; but after 5 days or so when the soreness subsides, I can exercise on a usual regimen with no issues.

Now, If I were to wait until SHTF, Gov't/Financial Collapse, Day-After-Tomorrow Storm, Hurricane OMFGRUNFORYOURLIFE to get active, I'll be dealing with my symptoms in a time when I simply cant afford to do so. I may have to run, lift & move some logs, crawl under stuff, jump over something else, climb a fence, tree, building, or pile of rubble/abandoned mine, etc... and cant afford to be light headed or winded when I'll be depending on my physical fitness to save me.

Personally I see the following being relevant for SHTF fitness: Yoga, Plyometrics (jumping), Weight Lifting for strength, Sprinting (or endurance running if you're far away from everything), Climbing and Crawling. Given my own list, I have experience in all of them, but none of them are current