Be a Lean, Mean Survival Machine

Picture this.  You’re with your kids or grand-kids in a COSTCO or Wal-Mart, when you hear gunshots and screams coming from across the store.  From the terrifying sounds you know you only have a few seconds to get to safety, and an EXIT door is about thirty yards away.  Do you have the physical conditioning and stamina to grab the kids, pick them up if necessary, and run fast enough to escape with your lives?  Or, would those extra pounds and flabby muscles slow you down to make a quick escape impossible? 

I’m the first to admit that a quick sprint across the store would be pretty difficult for me.  I could do it, but it sure wouldn’t be impressive in terms of speed or style.  I’ve missed way too many work-outs at the gym and have enjoyed far too many meals at the drive-through lately.  I’m typical of millions of Americans, yet as someone who has preparedness as a top goal, I know that someday my survival may depend on being physically fit.

I actually RIDE my bike! photo by Ed Yourdon

The necessity of getting shape and building up my physical strength has been a big pill for me to swallow.  I can’t tell you how much I hate excercising, and every minute on the treadmill is torment.  Even so, a month ago I started working on improving my physical fitness.  I’m not a runner, far from it, but I’ve been making a point of walking or bicyling as many days of the week as I can and doing a series of strength-building calisthenics (floor exercises).  When I feel like turning on the TV or plopping down with the latest Daniel Silva book, here’s what I tell myself.

• Upper body strength will help improve my target shooting.
• I’m setting a good example for the kids.  They love physical activity, and I want them to keep that attitude.
• Stronger leg muscles are more attractive and much better for running from a dangerous situation.  And also for kicking bad guys in the groin.
• As I build up my cardio-vascular system, my overall health improves, hopefully keeping me healthy for many, many years to come.  Who knows what our health care system will look like in a few years, and I’d just as soon stay healthy and limit my dependence on the medical system.
• I am so vain it’s embarrassing.  Heck, I just want to look cuter in my jeans!

How about you?  Could you depend on your fitness level to run fast and far if your life, and the lives of your children, depended on it?  Building up our bodies to be as strong as possible and losing some of the pounds that slow us down is a survival and preparedness must.  No, it’s not an easy step, and there are hundreds of excuses to procrastinate, most of them printed on restaurant menus!  However, there’s a very powerful reason for SurvivalMoms to start today:  our children. 

If you’re already in shape, let us know how you do it.  If you’re on the journey toward physical fitness, hey, we’re on it together!  I’d love to hear about  your plans for becoming the leanest and strongest SurvivalMom you possibly can be!

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