Originally published August 2, 2024. Updated August 2026.
I originally wrote this post on August 2, 2024, after realizing something uncomfortable: I could have a stocked pantry, emergency supplies, and a solid preparedness plan, but in an emergency, I also needed to be able to depend on my body.
So I made a plan—a pretty ambitious one.
Then 2025 happened.
A series of health problems hit hard and changed a lot of my plans. Getting healthier and stronger didn’t happen the way I imagined it would.
Now, two years after writing that original post, I’m looking at physical preparedness a little differently.
I still believe my body is one of my most important preps. Maybe I believe it even more now.
But I’ve learned that getting stronger doesn’t require a perfect plan, and a setback doesn’t mean I’ve failed.
So I’m starting again.
The Grocery Store Wake-Up Call
The moment that originally got me thinking about physical preparedness happened at a grocery store about a mile from my house.
It was a typical hot and humid Florida day, and I suddenly wondered: What if the power went out? What if roads were blocked? What if, for whatever reason, I couldn’t drive home?
Could I walk that mile carrying my groceries?
II had good walking shoes on and only four bags. Still, I knew the answer. It would take me a long time to get home, and I suspected some of those groceries would end up being left along the way.
That bothered me.
Preparedness isn’t only about what we own. Sometimes preparedness is being able to do what needs to be done.
I Made a Big Plan
My original plan wasn’t a bad one. I wanted to lose weight, drink more water, eat better, walk every day, build strength, improve my flexibility, and go to the gym regularly.
Those were good goals.
What I didn’t know in August 2024 was what the following year would bring. By 2025, improving my health wasn’t simply a matter of developing better habits. Sometimes I was dealing with health issues instead of working on fitness.
But here’s what I’ve realized: a plan interrupted isn’t necessarily a plan abandoned.
I can begin again from where I am now.
I want to be stronger. I want better stamina and balance. I want to be able to work in my garden, carry groceries, get up from the floor, walk when I need to walk, and remain as independent as possible.
Those aren’t just fitness goals.
They’re preparedness goals.
What I’m Doing Differently This Time
I’m not creating another giant plan.
I’m starting smaller.
Walk
I’m starting with short walks and building from there.
Ten minutes counts.
Walking around the block counts.
Walking through a store counts.
The goal isn’t to prove anything. The goal is to gradually make walking easier.
Build Strength
I don’t need to be able to carry a 55-pound water container or drag a 150-pound person across the yard.
I need enough strength for my real life.
Can I carry a gallon of water?
Can I move groceries from the car?
Can I lift something from the floor safely?
Can I get out of a chair without struggling?
Those are useful measures of strength for me.
Work on Balance and Flexibility
Balance becomes increasingly important as we get older.
So does being able to bend, reach, turn, and get back up again.
A few minutes of stretching, simple balance exercises, gardening, and ordinary movement all count.
Make Better Food Choices
I’m also keeping this simpler than my original plan.
Instead of trying to create the perfect diet overnight, I’m working on making better choices more often.
More foods that nourish me.
More water.
Less of the stuff I know isn’t helping me.
And when I don’t eat perfectly, I don’t have to wait until Monday to start over.
The next meal will do.
Preparedness Doesn’t Require Perfection
This may be the biggest lesson I’ve learned since I first wrote this post.
I thought I needed to get “fit.”
Now I think I need to become more capable than I am today.
That’s a very different goal.
If I can walk a little farther next month than I can today, that’s progress.
If carrying a gallon of water becomes easier, that’s progress.
If I can spend more time working outside without becoming exhausted, that’s progress.
If I become stronger and steadier on my feet, that’s progress.
And every one of those things makes me a little better prepared.
Start Where You Are
Maybe you’re out of shape, too.
Maybe you’re older than you used to be. Maybe you’ve had health setbacks. Maybe you made a fitness plan six months ago and haven’t looked at it since.
You don’t need another complicated program before you begin.
Pick one thing.
Walk for ten minutes.
Practice getting up from a chair five times.
Carry a gallon of water across the house.
Stretch for five minutes.
Do something you can repeat tomorrow.
Preparedness has never been about perfection. It’s about doing what we can ahead of time so we’re better able to handle what comes next.
Our bodies deserve a place in that plan, too.
So I’m starting again. One small step at a time.
This article is for general informational purposes and is not medical advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about what types of exercise and activity are appropriate for you, particularly if you have medical conditions or physical limitations.