Can you defend yourself and your family from an attacker who wants your last cans of food? Can you carry an injured child two miles back to camp? Can you make the hike to the nearest water? Answering these questions could mean the difference between life or death.
You don’t need a gym membership or a fitness video to start building your survival strength. You can add some fun and variety into your workouts to increase family time and build survival skills. There are a few easy moves that you and your family can do while enjoying time outdoors.
Move # 1- The Rock Pass Builds Teamwork and Balance
You can build survivor strength and increases balance in one move with the Rock Pass. Find a few friends or family to take a hike with you. Before you start, find a rock that each person can carry comfortably for a few steps. No one should be struggling too much to heft the weight. If the rock has some uneven sides that is even better. Practice standing in a circle passing the rock from person to person. Now head out on your hike just as you normally would but continue to pass the rock as you walk.
Set the goal of getting the rock for just a mile or for the entire hike. You’ll find that the task of passing the rock starts to be a real labor on your arms. Everyone will have to work together to accomplish the task. The Rock Pass builds teamwork, strength, and balance as your body works to complete a variety of tasks all at once.
Move #2- Tree Limb Pull-ups for a Survivor’s Upper Body
A quick hike in the woods reveals many ways to build your survival strength. Pull-ups and chin-ups are a great way to build upper body strength. All you need for this exercise is a tree limb that can support your weight. Do a few pull-ups with good form and then keep hiking until you find another good limb. Repeat the pull-ups and walking rest. These tree limb pull-ups will quickly build your upper body strength for any number of survival tasks like carrying heavy loads of firewood or building a shelter.
Move #3- Backpack Squats for Tree Trunk Legs
Pair your upper body workouts with lower body work. Take a minute to pack up your hiking pack with weight. Just use heavy clothing or blankets for a balanced load. With the full backpack on your back do several squats to test the weight. You should be able to do 5-10 without discomfort. Adjust your pack so it rests evenly. Do these around the house as you do vacuuming or dishes. Take your bag out for your hikes and stop every once so often to add in these squats to accelerate your cardio workouts. Backpack squats will increase your ability to walk long distances. Strong legs allow better climbing and carrying, both essential survival tasks.
These moves help you build the survivor strength required to live through emergency situations. They can also be done for free around the house or when you’re out for a hike, no gym membership required. Get the family out and practice them together for exercise with a fun twist.
