Rucking For Exercise and Stress Management

Discussion in 'Wilderness and Tactical Healthcare Management' started by DYSPHORIC JOY, Apr 6, 2018.

  1. DYSPHORIC JOY

    DYSPHORIC JOY Administrator Staff Member

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    Feel free to post experiences that involve exercise while humping a pack.
     
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  2. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Im physically fit enough to carry all the knives i want to into the woods now!!!
     
  3. Zeek

    Zeek Member

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    Does an extra 15 lbs of belly fat count?
     
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  4. DYSPHORIC JOY

    DYSPHORIC JOY Administrator Staff Member

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    Keep the thread focused... unless you are referring to hauling someone else’s fat.
     
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  5. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Ive lost 14 pounds hauling my own fat around. Rucking is a great workout.
     
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  6. Zeek

    Zeek Member

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    Sorry, I wasn’t completely joking. I have gone through a few cycles of weight gain/loss, often times this is seasonal. So as I begin to lose weight, I don't believe a typical 3 mile run is as significant of a work out. I normally try to compensate by going longer distances but have always wondered about adding external weight.

    Anyway, I've got an extra 15 or so lbs on me now so I'm trying to give myself 'credit' for that during every workout. o_O
     
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2018
  7. shaneadams90

    shaneadams90 ESEE Knives Marketing Director Staff Member

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    with or without a pack it's good to get into the woods.....I tend to carry more than I need, but have enjoyed trying to go without more and go with less into the woods.....either way...
     
  8. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Good point. Sometimes its a mental relaxation exercise where the benefits are positive mental health.
     
  9. anrkst6973

    anrkst6973 Member

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    I want to be like Bear the Dog, carry less and go further. I can easily go 3 miles in under an hour but it's kind of a trade off. If you're pushing hard for excersise you miss a lot of the beauty and magic that being outdoors offers.
     
  10. Hammer

    Hammer Member

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    Preparedness starts with taking care of your mind and your body. Your health and your fitness.

    Paracord bracelet and feathersticks are optional.
     
  11. Hammer

    Hammer Member

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    On a more serious note, though, I've never been one to go to the gym and spend hours doing repetitive exercises. It just bores the hell out of me. I stay fit by hiking, biking, XC skiing, etc. Getting outdoors and doing stuff on a regular basis.

    And, having guided and taught lots of other people in the backcountry, I can fairly say that "gym fitness" only gets one so far. The people who keep going when it's already been a long day on the trail, it's been raining since noon and you're not exactly sure how far it is to camp, aren't always the people who work out in a gym 5 days a week. There's an element of 'backcountry fitness and mental toughness" that doesn't happen at the bench press. You only get it by getting out there, pushing yourself and embracing uncertainty.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2018
  12. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Real life is hard.
     
  13. DYSPHORIC JOY

    DYSPHORIC JOY Administrator Staff Member

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    Nice 6 mile ruck with rain, 9BEE307B-399D-4139-A367-B2CC5A8A5D8F.jpeg 03FF699B-EDF4-4B16-87F3-FF927BC13B87.jpeg BA286074-C4D2-4515-A2F8-8F0915995D55.jpeg C98FDC32-C9A3-49D2-B9C7-B0C6E4645386.jpeg sleet and snow at the end.
     
  14. DYSPHORIC JOY

    DYSPHORIC JOY Administrator Staff Member

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  15. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Beautiful DJ!!!!!
     
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  16. R Stowe

    R Stowe Moderator Staff Member

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    Great pics as always @DYSPHORIC JOY

    To add to the discussion I've recently started running, mainly trail running, on a semi-regular basis. Two observations from this experience have been the fact that in last three to four years I've ridden bikes (road and mountain) around 700 to 1,100 miles a year, and that doesn't really seem to have helped the running. Also, my aerobic experience hiking with a pack on a variety of terrain still hasn't prepared me for the pace of running. So far at about 2-3 miles, I'm gassed whereas I can hike on pretty steep terrain for a number of hours without reaching thatlevel of exhaustion.

    I find it interesting how the different types of exercise, while in the same family, don't seem to necessarily cross train.
     
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  17. mtngoat

    mtngoat Member

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    I’m going to start trading for a ruck when the foot gets better.
     
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  18. JollyRoger523

    JollyRoger523 Member

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    In addition to lifting weights a few times a week I've been rucking a weighted pack for exercises/endurance. I'll take a normal pack for enjoyment hikes.

    After a certain surgery I can no longer run/jog long distances without hurting myself. I think it's the repetitive impact. Sprints (fast and short distances) are fine as is walking on and on. My solution? .... I took an old plastic cutting board and drilled a few holes in it. A few lag bolts, fender washers, and nuts allows me to bolt weight plates to it. It fits perfectly in the Pygmy Falcon II. Granted it's not the most comfortable pack for heavy weight, but it's built like a tank. I throw a few folded towels in front to keep the weight close to my back and from flopping around.
     
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  19. Black5

    Black5 Member

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    Does my trip with ruck count? Did a little over 10 miles total, ruck weighed out at 43 pounds according to the doctor's scales.

    He told me that the ruck actually seemed to help my spinal issues because the weight forces my shoulders to open outward more.

    Guess I should add, I often do 1-2 miles in the evening with the ruck.
    Run? No. I walk flat ground with 40-50 pound load at a comfortable 2.5 mph.
     
  20. inconel710

    inconel710 Member

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    I'm part of that crew. Don't get out enough thanks to my crazy long commute, but I try to make up for it on the weekends. Plus I get to drag my 13yr old along.
     
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