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Why Does Fitness Matter to Prepping?

Because a large part of this blog, as well as my YouTube channel, is documenting my continuous education in becoming prepared, it is sometimes going to be less than comfortable for me to document some topics. Physical Fitness is one of the topics I have struggled with most of my adult life and one of the things I wish i could magically change, but, alas, it requires effort and mindful work.

If we just briefly search the internet on any subject related to preparedness it becomes very evident that we, as a society, are very “gear centric.” We focus on things that we think are going to help us survive and often ignore the fundamental skills and abilities that are crucial. Being well armed with little skill makes us a very poor adversary of someone who is minimally armed, but possesses competency and skill to use what they have effectively. The same is true of fitness. The focus on our bug out bags and provisions are all for naught if we are unable to carry the pack far enough to escape whatever circumstances force us to strike out on foot. Now I am not morbidly obese by any stretch. I’m 6’3″ and roughly 350lbs as i write this, however I realize that my mobility is limited by my weight and lack of fitness and I am not in the type shape need to be to consider myself capable of the physical exertions that a survival scenario might require. I have realized that I cannot buy myself out of this or wish it away. It is a responsibility that I must make a priority and I encourage each and every person that reads this blog to take a real and honest look at where you rank your fitness and ability.

How Fit do I Need to Be?

In a perfect world we would all be as fit as professional or Olympic athletes but reality dictates otherwise. The reason professional athletes are at peak fitness levels is the same reason that the military’s elite operators such as Delta and SEAL personnel are some of the deadliest fighters ever encountered. The reason is dedication and time. As a professional, we would train for a task or event for a living. We might only be noticed on the field on a Sunday afternoon catching the winning pass just before the clock runs out in the 4th quarter, but we actually get paid for the weeks and months spent perfecting our game. Those of us who aren’t paid to maintain maximum fitness levels at all times are faced with one of the greatest detractors of personal goals, employment. Making a living necessarily takes time away from our goals so we have to plan with determination to get to a level of anything we feel is sufficient for the vast majority of the situations we expect.

To determine how fit is “fit enough” we must look at our situations. How far we would likely have to travel on foot to reach safety. How much we have to carry with us. Remember, each of us have different needs and requirements. What if we have small children with us. How far can we carry a toddler and our bag (with additional gear for his or her care)? Can we run fast enough to get to the exit of a building with a child in tow before a fire engulfs it or a riot overtakes the area? I know that I would have a difficult time with these tasks currently.

What Are Some Fitness Goals to Reach?

Focusing on weight or size isn’t nearly as important for this topic as it may be for our overall health so we will consider general health in another post. Right now I am trying to determine baseline levels and goals to reach and these may change as I go, however here are some basic fitness goals I feel I need to be able to achieve to consider myself somewhat prepared.

Be able to hike over uneven terrain for 3 miles with my bug out bag and edc carry while carrying a rifle and support gear for it too. This doubles the duty of the exercise from just bugging out to doing defensive or offensive patrols if a situation required me to be a part of a security element. Disasters often leave areas vulnerable and somewhat cut off from normal police support. Consider part of preparedness to be staying in shape enough to help defend yourself and family/group.
Being able to climb or pull myself up steep inclines with a pack on.
Being able to carry 100lbs additional weight 200 yards.
Being able to do 25 strict pushups
Being able to do 5 Pull ups.

These may seem random and they are. I’ll have to revisit and update this entry as I get started on my journey to becoming fit enough to survive. These are the places that I see myself starting towards. They are in no way final goals or a mark of total fitness, however its a place for me to start. I encourage everyone to consider some goals for themselves then update them as they see how they progress towards the goals. Take a look at this inexpensive book for some ideas:

Special Considerations for Fitness

There may be physically limiting factors that we must prepare around. I have to consider my prior back injuries when i consider how hard to exercise or how much weight i can safely carry. We will always have hurdles to overcome as we improve ourselves and become more prepared. It has been advised by many experts in the field of mental focus that we try to see the opportunities present instead of just the problems. As we continue, I plan to address prepping with disabilities and other limiting factors.

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What is Situational Awareness

By simply defining the two terms, we can pretty much assume that situational awareness is simply being aware of your current situation. That is a correct observation, but only scratches the surface of what being aware of our surroundings really is and why it is of the utmost importance for our safety and well being. As creatures, we have evolved into a race of smartphone focused zombies in many ways. We often see videos of people walking down the street, looking at their phones, that walk into traffic or telephone poles. I would be willing to wager that ninety-nine plus percent of us have texted while driving or been otherwise preoccupied with something besides what we are doing. Even gathering in a group where there is a main focus, such as a concert or rally of some sort; takes our awareness of things around us. The things we don’t see can sometimes be a big problem. How many people would knowingly walk into the scene of a mass shooting just before it happens? Would anyone willingly stroll down the street knowing that they will get mugged or assaulted? How about wondering into a large group of people that you know is about to become a violent riot? The use of situational awareness can and does prevent us from from potential harm on a daily basis even if we don’t realize when we use it.

Is Situational Awareness Being Paranoid?

To be aware enough of your situation to avoid harm might seem a bit paranoid. Constantly looking all over the place for the least sign of a problem. Trying to have eyes in the back of your head. It sounds like a huge burden on the outset. That is, however, not the case. Like any undertaking, we must first be consciously alert to the skills and habits we need to develop. We have to almost exaggerate them and be somewhat focused on the new habit, but soon it will become second nature. Situational awareness in no way makes us omnipotent or able to literally have 360 degree vision. It also doesn’t have to consume us. With a little bit of effort, it becomes almost a subconscious radar for bad situations then alerts our conscious attention to whatever the cue is.

Developing Situational Awareness

There is no shortage of techniques available to sharpen your situational awareness, but many simple “games” can help you out tremendously. Make it a habit to know before someone is within 5 feet of you. To do this you have to be somewhat alert, but not necessarily scanning in a circle. Knowing where the entrances and exits of a room are can give you a lot less area to have to focus on. Glancing at mirrored surfaces, such as windows, glass matted pictures, and polished objects that we find all around us, are ways to be aware if you are being approached. Choosing a seat that gives you a view of the paths of ingress and egress are key to reducing the odds of being caught off guard. While this is very basic overview, I hope it gets everyone thinking about how close someone can be to them before they realize it.

Now that we are looking around we need to know what to look for. People constantly give off cues within their body language, tone of voice, and general demeanor. If you look back at my post about the “Gray Man”, you will find that these cues are often the opposite of someone who blends in. You can read that post here: https://nickspreparedness.com/2020/07/26/how-do-i-blend-in-with-the-crowd/

Taking notice of someone who looks or acts out of place in a situation should be a normal task that our minds alert us to. This does not mean to make assumptions about the person or group of people, however you simply become aware of their presence and that something doesn’t fit. The vast majority of the time, there will be a perfectly good explanation for the cue we notice and nothing to worry about, however, if they begin to act in a concerning or threatening manner, we won’t be caught off guard or have let them into our personal space without noticing.

Sometimes awareness is simply making a habit of paying attention to a few things that we might normally overlook. Did we glance in the back seat of the car before getting in it after being in the store? Have we glanced in our mirrors regularly while driving to notice if we are being followed home? Are there groups of people where there normally aren’t many folks congregated? Do we notice a large police or military presence all of the sudden? Any of these checks or cues can alert us to raise our level of vigilance from normal to alert and, in many cases, help us steer clear of potential problems.

For a short, practical, and almost brutally straightforward explanation of awareness and personal defense in general, I cannot think of a better book to recommend to anyone than Col. Jeff Cooper’s “Principles of Personal Defense”. You can find it here:

You won’t find a better baseline for personal defense and awareness than this book and the suggested books you find in the link can build on the basics Col. Cooper lays out. Things can turn bad quickly. Are you going to notice in time?

Watch my video about situational awareness in the car:

Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate and make money on qualifying purchases.

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