Being Physically Prepared for an Emergency

Imagine being in an emergency where you have to evacuate your home on foot. You may have to run or walk for several miles in order to get to safety. You may even have to build an outdoor shelter out of natural materials. Now ask yourself, “If I were in an emergency, would I be physically prepared to keep myself and others safe?”

For many people, the words and phrases "exercise", "fitness", and "healthy eating habits" may cause you to grimace or roll your eyes. But starting an exercise program and incorporating healthy eating habits into your daily life can help you not only live a healthy life, but it can also keep yourself out of harm's way during an emergency. Building stamina, strength, and endurance are more important than you might realize.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine if you are physically healthy enough for all the aspects of an emergency:

• Can I build an emergency shelter?
• Can I lift/carry someone else?
• Can I carry a backpack full of several days (or even weeks) of emergency supplies?
• Can I fill and carry sand bags to help protect my home against flood waters? 
• If you're in Lubbock (or another desert location), don't shrug this one off. The drainage system is not the best, and it would only take a day or two of solid heavy rain to start flooding houses.
• Can I haul enough wood to make a fire that would last the night?
• Can I help clean-up damages after a natural disaster?
• This is not just for your own property, but also for others. God has asked us to help those in need - have our fitness choices allowed us to be physically able to do so?

If the answer to these questions is no, you should begin adding changes to your life to help you get physically fit. The benefits are not only that you will be prepared for an emergency, but they include increased health in mind, body, and soul, and there are also financial benefits in that health care costs will be reduced. How do you become physically fit? Here are some suggestions, though there are many more options.

1. Create an exercise program that includes cardio-respiratory or aerobic endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility.
1. Each of these aspects are very important, and there are multiple ways to improve them. You can go on walks, lift weights, go jogging or running, go swimming (for exercise, not leisure), do yoga, and a multitude of other physical activities.
2. It is important to have cardio endurance so your heart and lungs can work together to supply oxygen to your body during exertion. It won't matter how strong you are if you can't walk a few miles to a safe location during an emergency.
3. It is also important to include strength training so you have the ability to lift heavy loads. Again, being able to run 10 miles won't be very worthwhile if you need to help someone else get there (a child or injured family member or friend), and you can only lift 10 pounds.
2.  Create healthy eating habits that work for you to make sure your body is receiving the proper nutrients.
1. Our bodies are amazing things! But we need to give it the right fuel if we want it to perform at its best. Make sure to eat fruits and vegetables (oh the wonders of vegetables!), as well as healthy protein, fats, and carbs.
1. I'm not going to tell you to count calories or stick to a limited diet - just make sure that you are giving yourself the right food for you, which means you might need to spend time figuring out what those foods are. Every body is different!
3. Drink water!
1. This is a separate tab from healthy eating because it is so important. Our bodies do not work as well as they could when we do not stay adequately hydrated, and allowing yourself to get dehydrated can be very dangerous.
4. Create a schedule where you get adequate sleep.
1. Sleep is a major component of fitness. When we don't get enough sleep, our bodies become more vulnerable to illness, accidents, irritability, depression, etc. We also have less energy and think less clearly. Take the time out of your schedule to give your body the sleep it needs (sleeping in and napping over the weekend to compensate for a lack of sleep during the week does not count).

The time to begin exercising and eating healthy is now. However, you should always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program. There are some people who, for no fault of their own but simply because of the physical body they've been given, are unable to do some of the more physically challenging exercises. This doesn't mean you should push yourself past a healthy limit, but everyone can do something to be a little healthier, even if it's just drinking a little more water each day or walking for 20 minutes. As long as your doctor gives you the "okay", you are never too old or out of shape to start exercising. You do not have to try to be the strongest person on earth, just focus on being truly healthy. Don't try to make drastic changes (unless you really do well with those!), but instead set small goals for yourself to become physically fit and set your own pace. It may be a little painful at the beginning, but it will be worth it in the end.