Quick question, who is better equipped to handle a stressful situation?

This fella?

Or this guy?

With that in mind, which one are you closer to right now?

Be honest with yourself…

If you are out of shape, overweight, in poor cardiovascular condition, have high blood pressure, or have other diseases of affluence, you need to change that.  Your body is a tool that will enable you to survive a wide range of stressful situations.  However, if that tool is dull (ex. obese) then its much more difficult to overcome adverse conditions.  You can have the best preparation plan out there but if your body isn’t able to execute, it won’t do you any good.

Some quick and easy steps to improve you preparation fitness are to reduce or eliminate eating fast food, packaged meals, and sugary drinks.  All of those harm your body and hamper your fitness efforts.  Just look at the label on a typical frozen meal, if you have difficulty pronouncing the myriad of synthetic ingredients and additives in it, you probably should not be putting it into your body.  Ditto for fast food, it may taste good but most of those “meals” are full of sodium, saturated fats, and artificial ingredients that don’t offer your body the nourishment that it needs.  And unless you are a hummingbird, your body does not need the empty calories of a sugary drink.  Reduce these unhealthy inputs and you will loose fat and gain fitness.

You can start getting into shape by simple physical activities like walking, riding a bike, or climbing stairs.  Getting in shape does not mean an extreme exercise regimen, the best fitness activities are the ones you can do for the rest of your life.  The main objective is to get off your butt and move.  Before you start any fitness program though, talk with your doctor and discuss options to find the right activities for your situation.  Everybody is different and is starting from a different fitness level, make sure you take this into account when creating a fitness plan that compliments your preparation plans.  Increase healthy outputs and your fitness level will improve, making your body a more effective tool.

The principle is simple, tune-up your body so it can be ready when things go wrong.  Being fit and healthy will enable you to perform your best and increase your odds of success in all situations.  Better health will translate into better performance at your job, on the playing field, and around the home with your family.  So get healthy now, its a critical component of your preparations!