Prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse (Part 1) : Training Your Body

When things start to fall apart, that’s probably not the most opportune time to start getting in shape. You want to have the physical tools ready and at your disposal with the hopes you’ll never need to use them. So where do you start?

Cardio

In the chaos and turmoil of a full-on outbreak, transportation, terrain and defensible positions will all become rapidly evolving and deteriorating factors in your survival. At that point, having the ability to run, fast and far, will be as important as any skill set you possess. Do you need to be out running marathons? No, but you should get yourself a jump rope and wear that thing out. Many fitness experts list the jump rope as the best all around piece of training equipment you can own. They are inexpensive, portable, they build strength AND coordination and will help you drop a few pounds while you’re at it. The foot speed you’ll achieve from jump rope workouts (10 minutes of jump rope is equivalent to jogging an 8 minute mile) will pay dividends when you’ve got to get the hell outta Dodge!

Strength

So you’ve put together a great backpack with all the gear you need to survive in the wilds on the run from the brain guzzlers. Excellent! Don’t forget that you’ve got to carry all that gear on your back, all day, every day. Ask any soldier or hunter and they’ll tell you quite honestly, bullets are HEAVY. Water weighs 8lbs per gallon. Let’s not forget the food and clothing! You’ve got to build up endurance under a loaded pack in order to be able to benefit from all of those life saving goodies you’re toting around. You don’t need a fancy gym membership to achieve this, in fact you may be better off without one! The best practice you can get is to load a pack with weight. It doesn’t have to be actual gear in the pack, you can use bags of sand or gallon jugs of water, and then just carry it. Climb some stairs or hike some trails. I recommend setting a baseline by loading down your pack with the half of your ultimate desired pack weight and then see how many flights of stairs you can do. Don’t knock yourself out, just see what you’re capable of. Then set a goal for the subsequent weeks and steadily build up your endurance. Don’t be afraid to invest in a decent pair of trekking poles, they’ll help take the shock of a weighted pack off of your knees as well as allowing you to utilize your upper body to go uphill.

Remember to start off slowly, but with intention. Set attainable goals and strive to achieve them. A good fitness level is never a detriment and therefore should be something to strive for whether it’s kingdom come or not. So get started today!

“I just want to see how long I can keep this thing going. The easiest thing is dying. Living is a pain in the butt.” –Jack Lalanne

See part 2 and 3 of training:
Part 2 – Weaponry
Part 3 – Maintenance