Welcome back to the Survival Fitness Series. We will be combining fitness with prepping to help you prepare for emergencies and disasters.
You can only build stamina by doing more difficult activities, like running, rather than walking every day.
Jogging is something I enjoy, but it has a negative impact on my joints. Some of my friends have had three leg surgeries and are not yet 30. The people who are paying for their running mistakes now love to run, but they don’t know how.
It’s not my intention to be all science-y on you. In our case it manifests itself as:
- Short-distance running;
- Long-distance running;
- You can also do certain exercises like running on the spot or boxer’s shuffle.
Knees are the number one problem that runners face. The knees are the site of 40% of all injuries. Even those lucky enough to avoid injury still experience pain in their knees.
Most of the time, they aren’t too serious, but if you think about our goals, we may have to combine walking with running if there is a bug out. At some point we will have to run, or even jump, in order to get away. One such action is all it takes to damage your knees permanently and fall behind.
When you are jogging in a track you may stop when your knees hurt, but not when bad guys are chasing after you. You should not only be prepared to run fast, but also have knees that can support the speed.
Before I tell you about the exercises I urge you to visit your doctor and have a complete physical examination. You should do these exercises every year if you are over 45. You should do these exercises right away, even if you haven’t done them before.
Check everything. From glycaemia to knees to spine, and so on. Tell your doctor what exercises you plan to do. They can then tell you which ones you are allowed and not permitted to perform.
Unfortunately, yes. Listen to your doctor if she advises against certain exercises. But, do not hesitate to ask about other exercises. You could end up with an injury, and then you may need to completely stop your training.
Let’s return to health concerns pertaining to running, because this is what we will be discussing in the next chapter.
If you have this problem, your doctor may ask you to get an X-ray on both knees. Your doctor may ask that you have an X-ray taken on both of your knees in order to determine what is wrong.
You may have pushed too hard in training. You could have landed wrongly on your feet or jumped the wrong direction. Your knees are more affected by extra weight than you realize.
You can continue training if the pain doesn’t seem too bad. However, if it is severe, then you may want to take some time off. Take a few days off. It is better than waiting 5 months to get back into shape.
There are many other problems that runners can have, including Achilles tendinitis and shinsplints. Stress fractures may also be a problem. You need to address them, especially if you are over 40.
What is the best place to jog?
You can run anywhere! If I wanted to, I could run in the middle of a crowded street. You can run on any road if you do not have access to a track. However, there is a caveat.
The cushioning effect of professional running tracks protects your knees and joints. Running outside of the track in a park, or along the side of a road, will cause more injuries over time.
What to do if you are injured while jogging?
You can reduce these issues if you use the right equipment. There are many other options besides a good pair of shoes. Straps can be worn just below your knees to distribute the pressure over a wider area.
The next option is the patella and knee sleeves. Both have a small hole around the cap of the knee. Talk to your doctor about the various options available.
Warming up for Jogging
Warm-ups are essential for every workout. You need to do longer warm-ups if you have had injuries in the past.
The basic exercise should be the same as what you did in gym class at high school. It doesn’t have to be fancy. has been discussed in this article, but you need to do certain things for sprinting or jogging.
Start by rotating the hands, but not too quickly! Then, rotate your hands (but not too fast!
Continue with some leg stretches. Be careful not to stretch your legs too much. Stretching your legs too far could be dangerous because they are still not warm.
Then, jog for about 110 yards (100 meters). You can jog a bit longer if you wish.
Let’s try some toe-walking. You can walk 30-60 feet (10-20 meters) on your toes. Don’t force yourself to do this if you are unable to.
You can also do heel walking, which is the second method.
Your warm-up will look something like:
- Stretching and moving the arms, legs, and head lightly;
- Light jog about 100 metres;
- For 10-20 metres, alternate between toe and heel walking.
Let’s start with jogging at a low speed. Assuming you’ve not done it in awhile, I will start off with low-speed jogging. We’ll gradually increase the intensity of each exercise.
Because I do not know you, I will not give you an exact distance for your first run. You’ll run faster and longer if you are a 30-year-old man in good physical shape than a woman 55 years old who is a bit overweight.
This is how I would suggest that you go about it:
- Get moving.
- Stop if you experience “bad pain”.
- Do not stop running until you are exhausted.
- Stop.
- Repeat this 2 times.
You need to discover your running sweet spot. You need to find that sweet spot where you are able to run without feeling like you’re unable. This extra 10% will help you progress as your workouts go on.
You should be able to run at least 3 times 100 meters, which is 275 yards. You should write down your best time because you will try to improve on it the next run.
After you’ve successfully run a distance and broken the ice, you need to create a strategy that helps you not only with long distance running but also sprinting. You’ll need to sprint every so often as a prepper. When SHTF happens, you may need to take your bug out bag with you and leave (assuming your car won’t be an option).
When SHTF happens, I don’t think you will have the time to stretch. The disaster will not wait until you finish stretching. You’ll need to be the fittest you can possibly be to avoid your knees failing you as you are thrown around by a tornado.
You’ll need to be able run for a mile (2 kilometers) or more without having to spit your lungs. This is the point where you will be able to run a mile (or 2 kilometers) without spitting out your lungs.
If you cannot run the mile without stopping it’s no problem. Breathe in and out for a couple of seconds before continuing to run until the finish.
Breathing
Breathing is an essential part of running, and it’s important to get the most out of your performance. Most people breathe incorrectly. The majority of people breathe in their chests instead of their belly, and they get tired much faster. This is called diaphragmatic breath.
We’re not concerned about breaking world records right now, but rather with getting this done correctly. Let’s focus our attention on the breathing you do, and more specifically, on the breathing that occurs inside your stomach. How? Fill your stomach with air.
Let’s now try to run 100 meters (or metres) while focusing on breathing in this way. Focus on one thing and only that until you master it. Keep running until it clicks. You can slow down if necessary and breathe from your belly.
If you’ve mastered it, you should focus on this breathing technique until it feels natural. You’ll eventually master it. It is a bit difficult to learn, but once you do, your voice will sound deeper. Did you also know that you can have a more powerful voice by breathing through your stomach instead of your chest? A fun fact.
Let’s discuss a bit how to breath while running. It’s more difficult to breathe from your stomach as you run. You should find it easier to control your breathing since you have practiced beforehand.
Once you begin running, you will breathe in patterns. It is easiest to breathe in and out with the steps. As you walk left and right you inhale twice, then for the next two steps you exhale again.
You can say: Left-foot inhale; right-foot inhale; left-foot exhale and right-foot exhale.
As you gain experience and increase your pace, it’s possible to take 3 small exhales or inhales per 2 steps… but we will do this later.
Do you wish to learn the best way to improve your breath? Stop smoking.
Run with Dynamic Stretching
Stretching is a topic that deserves its own section, but it’s interesting to mention a way you can stretch right during your run. The stretches I am about to demonstrate are dynamic stretches, because they don’t require you to hold the position.
While you are running, try one of these things:
- Bring your knees up as high as you can (but not too high – your main focus should be on running).
- Bring your toes up as close to your buttocks as you can.
As part of the warm-up for your run, you can do each 100 meters (or yards).
Exercise
We’ve finally arrived at the fun part! Your body is in good shape and you can run. You know how to breath, and have all the necessary equipment. What now?
We need to prepare ourselves for long-distance and sprints. Bugging out, and then running to your life.
You can run as far as possible in the first workout. Just make sure you increase the distance and/or the speed from one workout to the next. Set a goal before each session. Either you’d like to run farther than the last time or run exactly the same distance but faster. A stopwatch and a training diary will be helpful.
Let’s assume you only ran 100 metres on your first exercise. After a good warm up, you should run for as long as possible without stopping. Push yourself hard unless you feel “bad pain” in any part of your body.
Write down the distance you covered and your time (some apps store this information in memory of your phone). You can also take a short break and do some light walking before continuing to run.
Your goal for your next training session should be to improve on the previous workout. You may have run a mile last time in 15 minutes. Your goal is to either go further or finish the mile faster, such as 14 minutes 40 seconds.
You’ll notice that I keep things easy and simple for you. It’s not that you’re preparing to do a marathon, or join the Olympics. But it is important to set a goal. This is one way to keep yourself motivated and avoid quitting.
Let’s assume you ran 1.2 miles in your second training session. You then ran 1.5 miles. You should go two miles. Why not spice up your workout by running a mile at a faster pace? Try to improve on the time you took to complete your second session.
You can also try to beat 2 miles on your next exercise, but focus more on breathing. Are you sure you could do it?
Aerobic Exercises at Home
Here are a few quick running aerobic exercises that you can incorporate into your home exercise routine.
As you may have guessed, running in place simulates the act of standing still and running. It is easier on your knees, but it’s not as good as jogging. It’s still a great place to begin if you can’t run.
The boxer shuffle works similarly to running, but you must alternately place your feet in front or back. While you are doing this, move your body as far to the right as possible and back to the left.
Off-Road Running and Trail Running
As a prepper, you will have to run and walk on rough terrain. For example, running through woods is very difficult. Have you tried to run on rail tracks? It isn’t easy.
You can start off by running around a block… but only if you’re able to. And remember what we said about protecting your legs. The surfaces of these trails aren’t designed for that.
When running over uneven ground, the most important factor to consider is your footfall. You may even fracture an ankle depending on the severity of the terrain. Off-road running requires you to watch your steps. Unlike on a track, where it’s not necessary to pay attention unless another runner is directly in front of the runner. It’s a good thing to run with a friend.
Do your off-road running in daylight.
An Urban Prepper’s Quick Aerobic Workout
This is a great idea for two reasons. One, not many people are aware of it, and two, this will make a huge difference. It’s amazing that no one is going to think it’s crazy.
It’s about running down stairs. You probably have to climb stairs a lot every day if you live in a big city. You should evacuate as quickly as you can in case of emergency.
How about increasing your speed next time? You will never be able to tell anyone that you’re actually prepping. They’ll think you’re just in a rush.