Physical fitness is one of the most important things that you can do to get your body ready for the challenges of a survival situation. Getting into an exercise routine will also help you to rest better, think more clearly and have more control over your emotions. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a gym or any equipment whatsoever to get in a good workout at home. The following examples are routines that are low-impact, yet challenging enough to tone the body and improve strength and endurance.
Push Ups
Yes, push ups are some of the easiest and most effective ways to build muscles in your arms, shoulders and chest. However, they can be boring, which is one of the reasons that not a lot of people bother doing them. If you can get yourself into the routine of doing 10-20 push ups before any other exercise, you will get your heart rate up, loosen muscles and burn fat. The trick with push ups is to start slow and work your way up into being able to do multiple reps without any trouble.
Since most of us have some extra pounds around the waist, lifting and lowering our upper body is difficult at first. Start by doing kneeling pushups until you are able to traditional ones without collapsing to the floor. Once you’ve mastered this, then you can move on to more advanced workouts that involve placing your feet on an incline while lifting your upper body.
Sit Ups or Crunches
A lot of people are convinced that sit ups are hard on the back, so they should avoid doing them. The trick is to ease into them slowly and not strain yourself. Crunches are an effective alternative as well, and they can help to strengthen the abdominal muscles as well as the thighs. There are a lot of variations to use when doing these exercises, and you will get a feel for what works best as you get into the swing of things. Just remember to start small and work your way into being able to do complete sets over time.
Lunges
There are various lunges that you can do to tone the entire body, and you should incorporate a number of them into your workout routine. The most demanding, yet effective, is the walkout. This is when you stand up with your hands on your hips before bending over and squatting slightly so you almost fall on your hands in an inverted “V” fashion. Then crawl your way out until you are in the push up position and reverse your movements until you’re vertical again. This will work every muscle group in the body while also giving you a good aerobic workout at the same time.
Planks
Planks are an excellent way to tone the upper body as well as the arms and back muscles. Simply place yourself in the push up position, squeeze your buttocks, tighten your abs and chest and hold this position for as long as possible. This is very challenging despite its simplicity, and you will feel the effects pretty quick. Try to hold on as long as you can before you release, rest for a few seconds and repeat.
A more advanced variation is the tap plank. This is when you follow the same procedure above while lifting one hand and quickly touching the outside of your other upper arm. Bring the arm back to the original position and do the same movement with the other one. Repeat this alteration and keep going until you can’t stand the strain anymore. You will quickly develop strength and endurance if you’re faithful in doing this exercise over time.
Squats
Squats are effective for working the legs and thighs, but you should be careful not to strain your knees. Make slow, steady and gentle movements as you squat down from the vertical position and back up again. Start with shallow squats and increase the depth over time.
Glute Bridge
Lay on your back with your legs slightly spread, knees bent, feet on the floor. Extend your arms down next to your body and press your hands against the floor. Lift your abdomen until a plane is created from your knees to your shoulders. Hold in place for a few seconds, gently go down and repeat.
Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks are a phenomenal aerobic workout that tones all of the major muscle groups while burning fat at the same time. However, start slowly and ease into them so you don’t strain your or ankles. You should incorporate these into every workout as a way to get started or wrap things up.
These are just a few examples of dozens of workouts that you can do without any equipment, gym memberships or expertise. You are using your own body weight and mass to provide the resistance that is necessary to build muscle, burn fat and get your metabolism going. Try them out for yourself, and stick with a daily routine. It will be difficult for the first week or so, but once you’ve gotten past this initial barrier, you will be glad that you did.
Your mind will be sharper, and you’ll have more energy and endurance. Ultimately, you will be in a better position to weather any storms associated with a survival situation a lot sooner than you may think.
