Physical Fitness for PAW/TEOTWAWKI

[mountainman28713]

As a prior active duty military man I have to raise the "armchair commando" question. I am sure I will step on some toes but this has to be addressed for you and yours to survive. I will be the first to admit I am not in the shape I used to be as an Operator, but with that being said I do/am working on my physical abilities again, and my wifes physical abilities(post two back to back children) to be able to make it on foot hauling our most prized possesions-our two small daughters in our rucksack type kiddie carriers to our plan bravo location. We walk/run/hike and do some pretty strenuous manual labor around the house. My personal opinion is that if you are 40lbs or more over weight you do not need to wait for the situation to arise thinking your body will burn it off and its just "winter fat" !! Your cardiovascular system needs to be in the best shape that it can be before these events transpire or you will be left with no one to blame on your shortcomings but yourself. If your family is going to depend on YOU and not the guy who hauls wood for a living to get out and get wood in when the power goes out in the middle of the night in a snowstorm without warning in the winter to have wood split/stacked and readily usable. The ability to use an axe/splitting maul is paramount due to most chainsaws and small engines use magnetos-these may be useless in an EMP. Physical fitness should not take a backseat to luxuries such as a car/motorcycle/chainsaw/woodsplitter/ etc... We as humans are creatures of comfort and most-not all are naturally lazy without the intent to be. We all have to understand that survival of the fittest is just that...the fittest and most prepared, yeah it helps to have all of the guru gear/guns/ammo etc that you can possibly have but it may come down to you having to leave your comfort zone on foot and with only what you can carry for you and yours as quickly and quietly as possible one day. I personally have been there in another period/chapter of my life and we barely got out alive, no I was not married then and did not have children, it was a foreign country with an overwhelming/opposing force-we fell back and called an airstrike-but thats neither here nor there, my overall point in this ramble is "WE" as a patriotic online community need to think/reevaluate our physical self image/personal(family)fitness level and abilities and come back to reality. We need to push back from the table when we start to get full-eat slower-drink more water than anything else-and above all exercise. Your buried bus full of goodies will not save you if you have a heart attack walking down the stairs because you weigh 450 pounds and are a chainsmoker/borderline diabetic and drink coffee and soda's/tea all day and think you are getting your water through these. I admit it is a mental mindset change as well as a lifestyle change to make yourself do something, but you can do it!!! Start slow and go. We must break the chains of societies easily available luxuries and save ourselves one step at a time(on pavement or treadmill) before it is too late.:confused:

[Lil Bear]

I agree that most of society has gotten fat and lazy and it is time for a lifestyle change. The wife and I have been changing our eating and exercising habits over the last year. She has lost at least 40 lbs and I have lost about 20 lbs. We are incorperating exercise activities with our daughter so she has a head start on life. The one thing I have to worry about is my mother-in-law (who lives with us) who is in her 60's and half blind. She will not be able to keep up or carry anything. She walks some but not enough to be able to make a hasty retreat if the need arises. We are better off now than a year ago, but I feel we have more training ahead of us.