Physical Fitness

 “Stronger People are harder to kill and more useful in general.”

The US Army realized, some time between the first and second world wars, that the most cost effective way to up combat survival is physical fitness. I think that before WWII the United States was still primarily an agricultural nation. As such, recruits would be more likely to be fit at the time of induction. This is, obviously, not the case today. With our sedentary lifestyles and easy access to more wasteful calories, an American civilian is more likely to be unfit, often grossly so. This is a huge obstacle for the defense of our nation and our rights. There are several reasons why this is true.

Being out of shape severely limits your tactical options. Shoot-move-communicate, these are the things you have to do in a fight, being out of shape makes it harder to do all of them. Being very out of shape basically limits you to dyeing in place in anything but a simple home defense situation.

A person can learn marksmanship, tactics and all the other critical skills within a few weeks of intensive training. However, getting in shape from a zero point can take months. The time it takes is increased with the age and fitness of the would-be citizen soldier.

I am not suggesting that every citizen soldier needs to be an all-star athlete. I certainly don’t fit that category. What I do recommend is that you, every person, should strive to be in the best shape they can. Physical disability is no excuse for not trying to better yourselves, everyone has a role. As with other types of training whatever you can do to increase your readiness is better than nothing.

Looked at from a different angle… you could conceivably spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours on equipment and training. But in all probability very little of it will be used. Time spent on PT is time that is guaranteed to be useful in life.

This being said let me give a few of tips on how to get in shape. This is simply stuff that has helped me and other contributors. None of us are exercise experts in any way. If you have a plan that is getting you in shape, or, if you are already in shape, stick with it.

1. Start at a slow pace- It is all too common to see someone burn themselves out early in an exercise program and then quit. People go to the gym once lift weight for a few hours, get sore and think they have done something to get fit. Not so, getting fit will take months.

2. Stretch out- A good stretch before and after a workout (no matter what the workout) will help to prevent injury, maximize the benefit and make it more enjoyable. A good stretch even without a workout is beneficial.

3. Talk to a Professional- If you have a regular physician; spend some time talking to them in order to get advice. Some time with a professional trainer won't hurt either. They are experts on the human body.

4. Don’t spend money- Many people think that to get in shape you have to buy the latest piece of exercise equipment, or join a gym. Folks, to get in shape you have to go out and exercise! YOU CAN NOT BUY PHYSICAL FITNESS. Start walking, start running, and start eating right. Americans spend more money on fitness and weight loss than any other country… yet we are in the worst shape.

5. Eat intelligently- Don’t go in for fad diets, don’t try going from a fat buffet eater to a Spartan monk overnight. This is a key to failure. What you eat shouldn’t be some kind of crash diet that you have to buy a book for, it should just be what you do. Cut down on the sodas, the fast foods, the fat and the carb/sugar loaded sweets. Cut down, don’t try and eliminate them. Only have one soda a day, or eat one cookie, not the whole bag.

6. Cardio Cardio Cardio- Walk, run, swim, ride a bike, hump a ruck. Do it for 30+ minutes at a time 3-5 times a week. This (and diet) is what will get you in shape and keep you in shape.

7. Avoid injury- Getting hurt will put you farther behind on your program than anything. The older we get the longer it takes to heal. Be careful.

8. Modify your life for exercise- Don’t take the lazy way, make every day activities exercise. Park at the edge of the parking lot, take the stairs, don’t watch TV for family time, take a walk!

9. Variety- For me, most physical training programs get boring, so I have to change it up ever so often. I'll spend a few weeks rucking and a few weeks running. When it's nice outside I'll PT at the local park, when it's not I'll do circuit training in my man cave wearing my plate carrier. I have to keep it interesting.

10. Start now- bookmark this page and go.