Good Stuff

Exercise for when the SHTF

Preparing for when the SHTF has became one of the niches for reality TV shows.  What amazes me is how much some people are willing to spend on shelter and weapons but give nary a second thought to the most basic; fitness.

No matter how well prepared your domicile may be, it does you no good if you can’t get to it.  How many disasters or emergency situations can you think of that will conveniently happen while you and your loved ones are safely nestled in your fortress of solitude?

Or let’s say you are simply someone who wants to be prepared for something less than the end of the world but more substantial than heavy rain storm?  How will you get to a point of distribution (POD) if roads are impassible or your vehicle doesn’t work?

As I’m writing this, we are experiencing the coldest winter in decades.  Since the Christmas break, none of the school districts in southwestern Ohio have had a full week of school.  It caused me to evaluate our own preparation.

Food and water have been something we’ve worked on since the Y2K scare.  Weapons have always been a hobby and my family is well versed in their use.  We are not hardcore preppers but have the means to deal with most emergencies (especially after the wind storm of 2008 left our town without power for over a week).

The one thing that I’ve personally have been working on more during these frigid days is maintaining a certain level of physical fitness.  In milder temperatures (read anything in double digits), my workout consists of going to the gym 3-4 times a week.  The rest of the time is tai chi, yoga and martial arts in the backyard.  The last month has forced me to change this pattern.

I’ve been focusing on push-ups, exercise wheel rollouts, and wall squats.  Push-ups are the standard for assessing upper body strength in the military.  They don’t require any equipment and you can easily measure your progress.

Exercise wheel rollouts are for strengthening the core.  Another carry over from the military, having a strong core is necessary for a variety of tasks during a SHTF scenarios (such as climbing over debris).  Finally the wall squats are an easy way of keeping the legs in shape for walking. 

Normally I’m a advocate for walking regardless of conditions but slipping in front of oncoming traffic doesn’t appeal to me.

All of this has caused me to go back into my training journals and I’ve rediscovered what I believe is the ideal exercise for preppers…the farmer’s walk.  I forgot how this simple exercise strengthens all of the major muscles of the arms, legs and back.

Grab two heavy weights (dumbbells if you have them, if not fill some ammo boxes up with sand or metal tools) in each hand.  Now walk with you head looking forward.  Your grip and forearms will feel it first.  You back and thighs will start to burn. 

It is the ideal exercise for preppers, if the SHTF you will have to be able to carry heavy stuff for long distances.  You can this indoor or outdoors.  Climbing some steps or hills to really work everything.