How important is fitness in survival instances?

[MPMalloy]

Being physically fit will help you deal with stress, which there will be an overabunadance of, during a disaster.

Depending on what happens & how it unfolds, time could be limited...

[MasterMaker]

Being physically fit will help you deal with stress, which there will be an overabunadance of, during a disaster.

Depending on what happens & how it unfolds, my time could be limited...

True, but if physical fitness is ones best defense against stress then one tends to apply it to exhaustion and after that there really is nothing left, intelligence and mental discipline is usually what people say saved them when there was nothing physical left...

[Neville]

People have different versions of "fit".

I don't think there's a huge advantage in being super muscular with ultra low body fat. That type of body morphology burns up a LOT of calories on a daily basis and won't perform without that fuel. These are guys who work out on the machines or free-weights non stop and rarely get much if any cardio. They would have advantages in hand-to-hand combat, but if you're getting that close to people or things that mean you harm, you've really messed up badly in other areas... or had an epic run of bad luck.

I also don't think there's a huge advantage in being super skinny if you don't have the body-mass to deal with an attacker or any reserves to fuel you through stamina demanding activities. I know people that are slim that have no stamina and it would nearly kill them to put them through a day of actual manual labor. Same thing for an extended walk/hike. You're going to be doing a lot of manual labor and walking in the wake of a SHTF situation - whether that's clearing hurricane debris or evacuating a disaster area.

The best kind of "fit" I think in general is to be able to walk a lot, a certain amount of agility (basketball or yoga) or racquetball/tennis. Be able to keep up the pace for prolonged periods. Keep up a general level of activity with weight-bearing or strength-building (backpack hiking or helping friends move). I read a good number of years back that this was almost exclusively the type of fitness training the Israeli army practices... along with Krav Maga.

It's great to have some strength for fighting... better still to have some martial arts experience so you can use the strength you do have to best advantage. and not pidgeon-hole yourself into a fitness model that ultimately proves to be a poor fit for the survival situation you someday find yourself in. Top fuel drag racers are fun to watch at the track but they won't bring the plywood back from Home Depot. Don't over-specialize.

Finally... a slogan going back to the Old West reminds us "God made men... Sam Colt made them equal". That scrawny little squirt coming at you with a revolver is more than a match for your bulging biceps. Weapons exist for a reason, and being unarmed if you could have avoided it is not a good survival choice. Your firearm doesn't care how cold, tired, hungry, exhausted you are... if you can aim it and pull the trigger, you've still got a chance at putting up a fight.

[woodsghost]

I tend to think mental fitness is pretty important. Skinny people and fat people can do extraordinary amounts of work if they are mentally used to it. I see scrawny and chunky people in physical professions all the time.

I do think there are advantages to different body types. I just think the mind and will have more impact.

And when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, I have had my butt handed to me by both types. I think the better athlete wins (and I have mopped the floor with my fair share). But some body types seem to have an advantage in some situations.

I think choice, will, adaptability, and a positive mental attitude are the biggest predictors of survival. Lots of science and stories back that up. I am continually working on those mental attributes. Skills and physical fitness help, but are not required. Gear is nice too, but again, not required.

[MPMalloy]

I tend to think mental fitness is pretty important.

Yup.

[teotwaki]

So there is hope for me to survive the end of the world


training - CHECK
equipment -CHECK
Body mass? - check it out with these members of Navy MEAL Team Six

[woodsghost]

So there is hope for me to survive the end of the world


training - CHECK
equipment -CHECK
Body mass? - check it out with these members of Navy MEAL Team Six

Well....if they can get it done, I won't look too close at their size. Results are what matter. If they are not getting results, it may be time to make some changes.

[teotwaki]

Well....if they can get it done, I won't look too close at their size. Results are what matter. If they are not getting results, it may be time to make some changes.

Exactly. That is why I am poking (hard) at myself because I have to be more careful about slacking off on any type of PT. It is now harder to ramp up and train quickly for any sort of endurance event. Hence I take my running shoes with me even on travel including out of country trips. If I want good results I have to be more strict about what I eat and how I train.

In the process of looking around for the pictures I ran across some other folks who echoed similar things: WROL may not be about running, gunnin' and hand-to-hand combat so body mass and strength won't be the bottom line for long term survival.

[JeeperCreeper]

For all the USA members, a nice way to look at it is the obesity epidemic and how few citizens qualify for military service.

As a nation, we are the most unhealthy than we have ever been.

What this means? It's not too hard to be ahead of the bell curve compared to the majority of the population.

That is, if you look at survival through a statistical perspective.

[teotwaki]

Doesn't the outline of an obese body resemble a Bell Curve? (J/K)

Found an two interesting articles that I am still reading but they looked to be worth sharing:

Wilderness Starving: Living Off Your Fat
http://survivalskills.guide/surviving-off-your-fat/

How Starvation Affects Long term Wilderness Survival
http://survivalskills.guide/how-starvat ... -survival/

Going into a survival situation you want to have enough body fat to see you through, Being too lean might hasten your demise. Going back to the earlier post.. you might have obesity as a negative but if you have decent fitness and the right skills you may survive just fine.

[majorhavoc]

What this means? It's not too hard to be ahead of the bell curve compared to the majority of the population.

That is, if you look at survival through a statistical perspective.

See also:
You don't have to be faster than the bear, just faster than the guy next to you.

[HardLuck682]

Very important. Some friends and I are training continuously for GORUCK events. Beyond training for the events, we’d be greatly prepared for having to beat feet with a bugout bag for miles and hours, if necessary. This is just the tip of our training, but any additional conditioning, both physical and mental will help better prepare you for an austere environment.

[teotwaki]

Very important. Some friends and I are training continuously for GORUCK events. Beyond training for the events, we’d be greatly prepared for having to beat feet with a bugout bag for miles and hours, if necessary. This is just the tip of our training, but any additional conditioning, both physical and mental will help better prepare you for an austere environment.

GoRuck looks like fun for a group to get involved in. What is your year long ratio of GoRuck sessions to "ordinary" sessions of long & short distance hikes with packs?

[grumpyviking]

we have an obesity crisis in the UK. makes me wonder how many of them will survive in a SHTF situation, they may have a lot of fat reserves but most of them can hardly walk any further than the local takeaway, don't think they'll be bugging out anywhere fast.