Preparing For Life

To prepare for something, anything, one is wise to research, gain knowledge, practice and anticipate any and all possibilities. To throw oneself into a situation can be quite exhilarating and stimulating to the spontaneous nature of our being. But it could be said that being spontaneous without being somewhat prepared is the essence of naivety with potential dangers.

As we progress, or regress depending on your view point, into today’s society, we tend to have most everything spelled out for us. Overstimulation of marketing advertisements and news media telling us what to buy, how to think and how we should be living our lives has slowly numbed and depressed the human species.

All this external noise drowns out the internal senses and the one voice that inherently speaks our own rationale, agenda and truth. So it seems as if we are bouncing from the last latest, greatest to the next latest, greatest without considering that it may not be the greatest at all. As we consider this information let’s begin to apply it to the season’s activities.

Hiking, kayaking, climbing, water skiing, backpacking, swimming and the like are all potential undertakings of the season. All seemingly healthy endeavors on the surface, yet all possess potential threats if preparation is not a consideration.

Gone is the day of "just do it". No purchasable, advertised gadget will bail you out of the trouble of being underprepared. The average person is so out of shape physically and out of touch with oneself psychologically that taking on a foreign activity may not be without repercussions.

A simple backpacking trip can quickly turn into a physical and emotional challenge if one is not prepared for the physical demands of the hike and the emotional fall out thereafter. Being overly sore or developing an injury because of poor conditioning can take weeks if not months to recover from. The emotional fall out that follows is the realization of the condition and the physical capacity of oneself.

Simply going to the gym a couple of times a week, randomly selecting exercises and performing them without focusing on physical body awareness is a fruitless approach to prepare one for life’s challenges.

Spending 45 minutes a few times a week on the elliptical machine or the treadmill is not sound preparation for carrying a 40 pound pack on your back, setting up a tent, gathering wood, building a fire, sleeping on the cold ground, being aware of your body’s nutrient, hydration and caloric needs or the recovery process of such an attempt.

A fun summer backpacking trip can easily turn into several weeks of frustrating recovery. Just pushing hoards of weight around in the gym and aerobics classes will in turn yield similar results.

One would be wise to think in terms of awareness and physical conditioning. A program with such an agenda would include energy system conditioning, total body strengthening and flexibility training, balance and coordination, proper nutrition and rest/recovery cycling. All of these efforts should be done with conscious attention and body awareness.

Being prepared for life’s activities so that one may enjoy them while limiting potential threats and frustrations requires a new approach to thinking and doing. Get prepared then go have fun.

This is my last article for the Loop as I have moved on to the big skies of Montana. My health and fitness articles will continue to post weekly at www.LoseTheKneePain.com. Sign up for the free workout videos and you will be notified when the latest article is released. Take great care of yourself.