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QuietH3art

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Joined
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Location
North Carolina
We talk about all of the things we need to acquire to prep: Food stockpiles, water, weapons and ammo, medications but are there any threads on prepping our bodies?
We are so spoiled. With easy access to AC, cars, power tools and myriad other luxuries, we tend to let our belongings do most of the work for us. We ride our mowers to mow the lawn and the clippings are sucked up into a bag. Or we use that same system to collect leaves that have fallen. We drive to the store that's only 1/2 a mile away (yes, that's me) with the AC blowing on high, park as close to the door as possible, lean on the cart as we walk through the grocery store, then text someone in the house (me again) to help carry in the groceries.
I read a prepper's blog yesterday that talked about how we can make ourselves healthier now and prep our bodies for a SHTF situation. It really hit home for me. I do have health issues but maybe following some of the suggestions on that blog could help me to overcome some of those issues. I can't find the blog again so I can't link to it or directly quote it, but here is what I took from it:
At least once a day, do something the "hard" way. Instead of sucking those leaves up into the mower bag, get a rake and wheelbarrow and physically move those leaves yourself to the compost pile. Instead of driving to the store, put on your backpack and get on your bicycle or walk, (obviously this only works if you're picking up just a few things.)
Mind over muscle - your body will always want to quit. You have to push yourself. I have been doing this in my garden now. I don't have a tiller or power anything for my garden. When it needs to be weeded, I get out there and do it all by hand and I force myself to keep going even though my body is begging for AC. And when you do have to take a break, don't run right in to the AC. Sit outside in the heat and drink water.
Jogging every day is excellent to prepare your body but can you cut down that tree using just an ax and hand saw? Will you be able to do it when you have to get wood ready to heat the house for the winter and there's no more fuel to run your chainsaw? I have branches that need to come off of a couple of trees and have been putting off calling someone to bring their chainsaw over to do it for me. Now, I will use my handsaw to do it. Yes, it will take a lot longer, but I have plenty of time and my body could use the workout.
I used to be a very physically active person. This past year, I have done a lot of sitting on my butt feeling sorry for myself. Oh, I've made a good show of eating healthier. I'm even going to excuse a lot of my sitting around since I spent a large part of that time researching how to eat healthier. But I have seriously neglected physical activity and my endurance probably is so poor as to be non-existent right now.
I am even going to lay a little of the blame on my ex. He actually told me that I could only build endurance through structured exercise, that working around the yard didn't provide any real health benefits. Okay, I'll take the blame for that, too, since I know better, but allowed him to convince me otherwise.
I read here that many of you are very active, hiking, camping, working on the farm, but for those of us who don't have physical jobs or physical demands at home that help us to build endurance, let's get thoughtful and creative and start thinking of ways we can build our strength and endurance as part of our preps.
 
I'm building a house at present and almost all the woodwork is done using manual tools. There's a lot of steel as well but I draw the line at cutting and welding that manually :)

We do use petrol-driven brushcutters to clear the long grass on our land (about 5 acres cleared so far) but after that everything is raked and moved manually. I clear the lantana (a noxious weed a little like blackberry I suppose but with way smaller prickles) by hand and I have the scares to prove it. A largeish one can take 1-2 hours to rip out of the ground and I'm knackered by the end.

Just bought 3 cross cut saws (the large logging ones) and a double bit axe, hopefully no more chainsaw usage for me. And when I get my blacksmith shop up and running I will fabricate a few logging tools like a cant hook to help be clear the fallen trees from the land.

Been doing this for about 6 months now after a prolonged period of sitting on my duff in front of a computer. And apart from just feeling more capable I fit into shorts I haven't been able to wear for several years.

I used to walk 5-10k every day through the bush with a back pack, when the house is finished I plan to get back into that.

Personally I don't think you need structured exercise, and anyway it's just too boring. Just get out and do stuff, and if you slowly wean yourself from power tools it won't be a huge shock if they aren't around one day. That said, if I am in a hurry and/or a hand tool is not appropriate I still use power tools.

And another benefit to hand tools, they are quiet, people cannot hear you working (depending on the tools, not so much with an axe I suppose) and you are way more likely to hear anyone approaching and you get to listen to the birds while you work. I just love it, today I was planing an 8-foot plank, the difference between the swish swish of a hand plane and the God-awful racket of a power plane is outstanding, sure it probably took twice as long to do the job, but I'm in no hurry.

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i do this every time i mow the yard or something else outside..And when you do have to take a break, don't run right in to the AC. Sit outside in the heat and drink water.i use a chainsaw to cut down and cut up the firewood to length..but use a axe splitting maul and splitting wedges for splitting the firewood..then i either carry it to the wood pile.or haul it to the wood pile in a wheelbarrow...

P.S. i like that hand drill..i have one as well.and its reversible.yours looks like it is as well
 
yup..mine has come in mighty handy when it comes to the hings for cattle gates and the fence post..on account electric outlets are to far away for one reason or another..plus i like the idea of useing it time 2 time..i inherited from my dad when he passed away back in 1998
 
Not to mention you'll save on a gym membership! I'm not always crazy about getting started, but you feel better at the end of the day! There's something satisfying about going to bed tired after accomplishing some hard work.
 
I stay in good shape just by staying active . I do most of my yard work and projects with hand tools . I do use a rider to mow because I work 52 to 56 hours a week ( salry rate no over time ) . At work in my posistion I could get by with doing very little physical work but I jump in and help the ones doing the hard work keep in shape and to show I don't ask any one to do what I want do myself . I keep thier respect that way to .
 
I'm hardly a poster child for physical fitness, but I do try to do things the "hard way" on purpose. I never got into riding mowers, I used a manual push mower when I cut my grandmother's yard growing up. Leaves go onto the compost heap which gets spread on the yard the next spring.

I deer hunt on a bicycle instead of a 4 wheeler. I bought the only truck I could find that had manual window cranks. I used to take the stairs at work instead of the elevator, but somewhere along the line I got out of the habit. I still do when I think about it, but I seem to always be concentrated on getting to work and forget about the stairs until I'm already on the elevator.

When I played golf, I usually walked instead of renting a cart.
 
well, I either walk or ride a bike to my garden, so that's 12 miles and all work at garden manual labour, water carrying etc..if I have to mow some grass it's the old-fashioned push-mower,no motor, just push and sweat...so far managed to loose 13 pounds in 3 weeks
 
Today I cut up quite a few long branches (4-6 inches in diameter or so) using an old handsaw my grandparents had. Despite numerous attempts by others to persuade me to use a chainsaw, I did it all with the old, and probably very dull, handsaw. It was quite gratifying to see what I had gotten done in about a half hour of hard work :D
 
well, I either walk or ride a bike to my garden, so that's 12 miles and all work at garden manual labour, water carrying etc..if I have to mow some grass it's the old-fashioned push-mower,no motor, just push and sweat...so far managed to loose 13 pounds in 3 weeks
Jontte, that is awesome. Congratulations!
Today I cut up quite a few long branches (4-6 inches in diameter or so) using an old handsaw my grandparents had. Despite numerous attempts by others to persuade me to use a chainsaw, I did it all with the old, and probably very dull, handsaw. It was quite gratifying to see what I had gotten done in about a half hour of hard work :D
Way to go, TNT!
Today I worked real long and hard with my son's Corgi to teach him how to herd the chickens into the side yard. He's catching on! He doesn't go after them when they run like he's going to tackle and eat them. Now, he looks to me to see what I'm doing and then sort of imitates me. That doesn't sound like exercise to you? Try chasing 9 chickens who all want to go in different directions around the yard and through a 3 foot opening while making sure the dog is doing what you want or at least not tackling and eating little chickens.
 
Almost pushed it to far . Yesterday Running a chain saw clearing out a property line I let grow up the past 20 years . Heat index 107F, sun beating down after about a hour I was seeing flashes and everything sounded like a 747 was taking off over my head . I set down in the shade a few miniutes and paced myself the rest of the day coming inside once in a while to get some ice water and check out the DDP fourms . I said to myself I use to do this all day no problem and then I remembered yea as a 20 and 30 something in about 3 weeks I'll be 50 . I,m almost finished with the chain sawing next is digging sweet potattoes . Last vacation I get this year gotta "Get er done" .
 
Almost pushed it to far . Yesterday Running a chain saw clearing out a property line I let grow up the past 20 years . Heat index 107F, sun beating down after about a hour I was seeing flashes and everything sounded like a 747 was taking off over my head . I set down in the shade a few miniutes and paced myself the rest of the day coming inside once in a while to get some ice water and check out the DDP fourms . I said to myself I use to do this all day no problem and then I remembered yea as a 20 and 30 something in about 3 weeks I'll be 50 . I,m almost finished with the chain sawing next is digging sweet potattoes . Last vacation I get this year gotta "Get er done" .
yeah, I hit 50 last year, and i still get the job done, just slower and a little more pain involved nowdays! just remember to pace yourself, espechially in the heat!
 
I am one of those almost 50 years old and I am not in bad health but not as good of health as I want to be! I started studying natural/herbal healing years ago and had so much success with gallbladder disease and constant sinus infections, that my doctor visits went from a visit every other month to now I haven't been except for a check up in over 3 years!

That process started me down that path to good nutrition...I watched a movie called "The Beautiful Truth" by some teenager on cancer and that started me researching pharmaceuticals (that and my Mother is now a full blown prescription freak)! That led into more things! Water...I am on county water...when you get a glass of water straight from my tap and hold it under your nose your eyes water and your nose burns! Short of "buying" water, expensive filter system, dig a well, rainwater harvesting...what do you do?! No one can get healthy when you are constantly introducing more toxins into the body than it can process! Clean water went to the top of my list.

Next came researching processed foods...two movies here..."King Corn" and "FOOD, INC."...clued me into a lot that I absolutely did not know! I never pulled together in my head just what it meant to process food! All of my life I have been literally consuming "science" and not real food! And, that led into some pretty disgusting and smelly areas but I have learned that all health is generated thru the digestive system and the immune system...the quickest and best way to sum up part of your health is your "output"...if you are not pooping a "banana" shaped poop at least once a day more is preferable you probably have some serious medical issues going on and I would almost guarantee you are one miserable human being most of the time! Not going to the grocery store for anything has also moved up that list for me! The more I learn...the more of my own food I will grow and the more I reach out to others locally to find what I need and cannot produce myself! I refuse any longer to let a "boardroom" meeting about shareholders dictate what goes into my body! We are one seriously brainwashed nation and so spoiled!

I will stay active and I will be the sexiest sixty year old woman you have ever laid your eyes on! Now, remember I didn't say pretty! I will continue to "prune" my trees by hand, mow by hand, weed by hand, walk the dogs, I will make myself sweat every day! I have one thing on my bucket list left to do...at 60 my goal is to ride a horse from coast to coast. Crazy, probably, seems to be becoming more of a possibility the older I get though! My goal now...to add strength training, endurance and more personal self defense(started practicing/learning Tai-chi on video until find others) and to continue with avoiding anything in a can, bottle, box or a piece of plastic!
 
I am one of those almost 50 years old and I am not in bad health but not as good of health as I want to be! I started studying natural/herbal healing years ago and had so much success with gallbladder disease and constant sinus infections, that my doctor visits went from a visit every other month to now I haven't been except for a check up in over 3 years!

That process started me down that path to good nutrition...I watched a movie called "The Beautiful Truth" by some teenager on cancer and that started me researching pharmaceuticals (that and my Mother is now a full blown prescription freak)! That led into more things! Water...I am on county water...when you get a glass of water straight from my tap and hold it under your nose your eyes water and your nose burns! Short of "buying" water, expensive filter system, dig a well, rainwater harvesting...what do you do?! No one can get healthy when you are constantly introducing more toxins into the body than it can process! Clean water went to the top of my list.

Next came researching processed foods...two movies here..."King Corn" and "FOOD, INC."...clued me into a lot that I absolutely did not know! I never pulled together in my head just what it meant to process food! All of my life I have been literally consuming "science" and not real food! And, that led into some pretty disgusting and smelly areas but I have learned that all health is generated thru the digestive system and the immune system...the quickest and best way to sum up part of your health is your "output"...if you are not pooping a "banana" shaped poop at least once a day more is preferable you probably have some serious medical issues going on and I would almost guarantee you are one miserable human being most of the time! Not going to the grocery store for anything has also moved up that list for me! The more I learn...the more of my own food I will grow and the more I reach out to others locally to find what I need and cannot produce myself! I refuse any longer to let a "boardroom" meeting about shareholders dictate what goes into my body! We are one seriously brainwashed nation and so spoiled!

I will stay active and I will be the sexiest sixty year old woman you have ever laid your eyes on! Now, remember I didn't say pretty! I will continue to "prune" my trees by hand, mow by hand, weed by hand, walk the dogs, I will make myself sweat every day! I have one thing on my bucket list left to do...at 60 my goal is to ride a horse from coast to coast. Crazy, probably, seems to be becoming more of a possibility the older I get though! My goal now...to add strength training, endurance and more personal self defense(started practicing/learning Tai-chi on video until find others) and to continue with avoiding anything in a can, bottle, box or a piece of plastic!
You seem to have a really good head on your shoulders. It really is scary what we do to our food in this country. Those companies couldn't care less if it is good for you, profit is the sole motivator. I produce the vast majority of what I eat, but still get more garbage in me than I like. I have no problem with eating out, as long as it's the occasional treat, and not the norm. Even the few people at work who take vitamins and seem to care about health, still eat almost all processed foods and fast foods. Is anyone really suprised from the cancer rates today. Speaking of producing my own food, I have 5 rabbits and 1 rooster on my list to add to the freezer today. I can't say I like killing an animal, but at least I know it was healthy, and had a pretty good life (up to this afternoon anyways). So far the best thing I've done towards eating healthy has been the greenhouse. I really like eating fresh veggies the day I pick them, and the greenhouse has let me start producing earlier and continue longer in the seasons. I can't grow year long, but only have a short down time now. Canning has been fun, and really helps with long term storage, but it's hard to beat fresh. Right now I am still learning to grow different things, both for fun and health benefits, but I started this as I want to be able to live well even if the economy collapses. I am glad you are striving to eat healthier, and hope between us and the others on this site we can convince more people to wake up. You mentioned sinus issues clearing up, what worked for you. I suffer pretty badly with a clogged nose for life and would love to try something new. I gave up on dr.s ages ago, and only take the normal drugs rarely as I just don't like pharmacuticles. My wife was a nurse when she was healthy, and believes there's a pill to cure anything. She can't understand why I don't jump on that bandwagon. I take a baby aspirin each day, and I take a low dose BP med, but it's really rare I'll take anything else. I hope your garden is always abundant!
 

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