Exercise can have a very positive impact on our lives: it improves our physical strength, dexterity, agility, and reaction times, which are integral for a lifestyle centered around defensive living.
Physical fitness also develops confidence, discipline, and a stronger mindset. So, the right kind of exercise can have a very positive effect on one’s concealed carry and selfdefense abilities.
Exercise is a key component for defensive living.
In general, bulking up like a bodybuilder isn’t going to do much for your concealed carry and self defense abilities, other than maybe making you look more intimidating. However, the right type of exercises can take your preparedness skills to the next level and equip you with the physical fitness standards required in an emergency situation.
Now, this is not to say you have to be a master of Jiu-Jitsu, or the next Mike Tyson in order to defend yourselves or others, but there is no denying that one must been a baseline of physical training to be able to navigate any threat.
Exercise can help you build better strength and conditioning.
Cardiovascular activities like swimming, running, and cycling can help you engage more actively, and relentlessly, in a self-defense situation. In addition, the difficult workouts are also great for both mental and physical strength — not to mention they help maintain a healthy body weight and promote overall heart health.
In a self-defense situation, you may have to move from one position to another quickly, and stay in these positions for long times. For instance, you may have to crouch and stand again and again. Squats can help you build your lower body strength to do that.
Similarly, firearms are generally heavier than most new gun owners would expect. Training the upper body and core can keep you from having a shaky aim, and reduce the impact of recoil.
Exercise can improve your agility and reaction times.
Being able to draw your concealed carry firearm instantly and shoot it quickly is very important when seconds mean life. Therefore, hand-eye coordination is an essential part of being an effective concealed carry citizen. There are hundreds of hand eye coordination drills one can practice at home. One easy one that professional hockey goalies use is throwing a tennis ball against the wall at short range and catching it with their glove hand. Try this one at home using your dominant hand to sharpen up hand-eye coordination and reaction times.
It is also important to develop your hand speed, overall agility, and explosiveness, all of which can be developed through various exercise routines including HIIT (high intensity interval training).
Exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight.
Believe it or not, maintaining a healthy weight is essential for your concealed carry and self-defense abilities. Now, you shouldn’t beat yourself up trying to get unattainable fitness standards, but just make sure that your weight is according to your body mass index.
It can be difficult for overweight people to carry a firearm in their holster. Their reaction times and movement speeds may also be slower. Therefore, do exercises like running and if you are feeling it, HIIT (high intensity interval training), can be very effective, but also harsh on the body. If you need something low-impact, swimming and cycling can be a great alternative. Whichever you choose, be sure to maintain a healthy diet, because healthy bodies begin in the kitchen.
Final Thoughts:
Exercise can make a massive difference in your life and allow you to be more effective with your concealed carry weapon and in self-defense situations. Lastly, do some exercises with your concealed carry weapon as well. Train with holster and try dry-fire drills to improve your draw time. This creates familiarity with your weapons and can improve your defensive abilities.
To further prepare yourself for self-defense situations, consider taking one of Concealed Coalition’s nationwide courses. These courses include state-specific educational safety training and live-fire training where applicable. Find the class nearest to you here.
**Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Before starting any fitness or wellness programs, be sure to seek the advice of your physician.
