http://thesquirrelsniper.blogspot.com/2007/11/at-or-bust.html
So in continuation of my discussion on the AT (Appalachian Trail for those who did not read the previous post), I am now going to write about fitness. Being physically fit is just as much if not more important than having good gear. Gear will only make life so easy and only take you so far. God has created this world to work in such a way that natural life surpasses the technology that we can build. No machine or piece of gear can fix itself; our bodies can. It is a miracle and wonder to see our bodies at work. I see physical fitness like building a house. You can build your house without a foundation and in years to come you will see it rot and crumble around you. Same with our bodies. We must take time to lay the footers of fitness and we will reap the benefits of long lasting well built body. I am not talking about vanity here. No, I mean fitness in the practical sense. Also looking like this(below) is not physically fit.
Most of what is required in life is what I call survival fitness. I don't need to be able to bench 500 lbs to survive. However, there are some things that I think are necessary and they are listed in order of importance:
1. Be Limber - most injuries occur from not stretching or having range of motion. With the kind of "desk jockey" society that we live in, our lives are hectic and fast paced. I feel this one the most. I am in school and work 40+hrs a week and have a family. It seems like I am constantly running from one thing to the next and when I do get a moment, the last thing I want to do is sit for 20 min and stretch my hamstrings. However, I have noticed that just by stretching my body feels better. Not only that, but in a moment where I do need to be agile, flexible, and durable stretching is the ground work that conditions my body to meet the moment.
1.1 Conditioned - Being conditioned is just as important as stretching. That is why I numbered this one the way I did. Flexibility is important but so is endurance. Most survival situations come down to endurance. One must be able to walk or run miles or do a repetitive motion like swinging and axe or using a hand saw over and over again. These are actions that do not require much energy at first but within a short while will incapacitate someone with fatigue and could endanger their life. I find that running and swimming provide the best groundwork for this category. Most people fatigue due to non conditioned lungs. Then I would say that repetitive work out practices with light weight and high reps would be second (push ups, sit ups, pull ups, lunges, plyometrics, isometrics, and free weights). This category must be the cornerstone to survival fitness.
2. Performance - agility is a very useful survival mechanism. There are times where one is presented with a quick reaction decision and must move rapidly. Being able to give rapid burst of energy and speed can be a life saver. I find that dashes, jumps, and pull ups must be able to be performed rapidly if needed.
3. Strength - Last and of least importance is raw strength. Yes, there may be the time that you need to lift the car off of someone, but that scenario is not as likely as having to walk or run for miles to get help. I am not knocking working out and getting a higher weight max, but that cannot be the end all. If I took Lance Armstrong and Hulk Hogan and told them they had to escape from rebel forces by running down a 36 mile back road and swim five miles across a lake, my bets are on Armstrong because he is conditioned to the requirements of the situation.
No matter what the situation our lives depend on God's mercy and grace. If he does not desire his created man to live then he will not live. No one can thwart God's plan for our lives. As scripture says, "A man makes plans in his heart, but the Lord plants his steps." Scripture teaches clearly that no matter how much I can bench or how many miles I can run, my life is dependent on His will. So some may think it is dangerous to hike miles in the wilderness, and it is. Just like driving to work everyday. I will say, I have had more family and friends injured or killed from car wrecks than any other peril I know, but that does not mean I will stop driving. I think this trip will be a test of the wills and physical stamina, and I look forward to seeing how we measure up.
Here is a website with video's of some very practical home grown workouts that you can really push yourself with and become survival fit. Most of the exercises require little equipment or can have equipment substituted for something more common.
http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/excercise.html
Everyone of these exercises could make someone really strong but mostly emphasize endurance. You will look funny doing some of them, but they really do work.
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