So I’m thinking (scary I know), we have no idea what is really going to happen in a poo-hits-the-fan scenario right?  Think about it.  We may have just enough time to grab our ‘go’ bag from our home or car and start hoofing it.  And that’s where my thought is … the hoofing it part.

So many of us from our twenties on are feeling the effects of all the “happy-burgers’ we’ve eaten, the sedentary lifestyle of video gaming and work, and just plain ol “I’m too tired” to do anything.

 If we spend two-thirds of our lifetime at work and the other one-third eating, sleeping, pooping (sorry but we do that) and playing video games or watching TV we’re just not getting any exercise now are we?

If you have ever experienced a disaster, or at least seen one on TV you know that there is a lot of crashed, broken, mangled, and collapsed stuff on the ground everywhere.  Lots of it.  This means, we may have to walk, climb, and crawl over some of that stuff to get to a safe place.

Well how the heck do you even condition yourself to do this?   Less going to the playground and crawling around on the jungle-gym;  which I must say you might want to reconsider, with all the wackos out there, mom’s get a little nervous when grown-up are intermingling with their children.  Just sayin.

Then it came to me.  Stairs. You know those wooden or cement risers and treads that go up into the unknowns?  The things next to the elevators and escalators?  No?  Okay this is gonna take more work than I thought.

 The benefits of stairs are many.  Think about everything you use to climb stairs, less your legs, heart and lung which you’ll feel immediately.   You’ll also use your arms to cling to the hand rail to drag yourself up, you’ll use your butt (caboose, behinny, bottom, gluts - call it what you will it’s still gonna hurt) to propel your legs to the next step and you’ll use your stomach muscles to hold back that sick feeling once you get to the top of the stairs.   But trust me it’ll be all worth it.

We NEED to exercise.  Taking stairs requires no special skill (well you need to find them first), and just like walking all you do is just put one foot in front of the other – oh but remember to lift the foot first (okay so there is some special skill my bad).  Just focus on taking one step at a time and gradually work your way up to more steps or flights - like you’d even get up the first flight the first time around right?

A lot of people are under the impression that if they run they can climb stairs.  Wrong.  If you’re a runner listen up.

You’ve got a little thing called gravity working against you when climbing stairs.  It’s like having a ball and chain wrapped around your waist or carrying yourself up the steps.   So why would you want to do this?  Because you want to live?

‘Can’t I just use one of those stair thingies at the gym?’ you ask.   Sure.  But you’re not going to get the same workout.  Those stair thingies only work your legs.   It’s a given, you’ll have awesome looking legs but you’ll still be out of breath – just like runners.  And another difference and benefit with stairs is that stairs are steeper than most hills that runners run. 

In a disaster situation we are going to have to carry and maneuver around things at the same time. This may require, bending or crouching down to conceal yourselves and then getting up to move again.  It is imperative that we be able to do this with as little effort as possible.  By learning to carry our weight so to speak using stairs it will enable us to be in far better shape to walk and carrying things, like say that ‘go’ bag (which weighs about 20-30 lbs)?

Forget all those high priced workout machines and equipment.  Use the stairs.

Oh and when you get really good at it, try running up them.

Just sayin.

- Survivor Jane

Related Articles:

SURVIVOR JANE GO-BAG CHALLENGE!!™
Survivor Jane Go-Bag Challenge!!™ - Beginning the Challenge
Please Pass the Remote – (Lack of Physical Activity as a Result of Technology)
The other Gem in your life (Exercising for Survival Sake)
Throwing a Fit over Fitness - (The Things We Must do to Survive)
Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting (Survival Physical Preparedness)

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Survivor Jane is not intended to be expert, legal or even medical advise - just one girl sharing with others.