Fitness and Situational Awareness being overlooked?

[BabaBlueJay]

I am a newer gun owner. I bought my first gun roughly 3 years ago when the riots happened, and I saw Asians being attacked. Over those 3 years I have learned a lot and slowly have quite a bit of kit and training to use it. Everyone I have met in the 2A community has been amazing to my family and I, which contradicts all the nonsense I heard all my life. If there is one thing negative I've noticed, if I am being honest, it is the lack of physical fitness (on average) and situational awareness I have seen. Now that doesn't mean this is every gun owner or everywhere, but at my Club it seems I'm the most physically fit person and I only work out 3-5 times a week. I hear many of my friends at the Club talk about being prepared for anything, but it saddens me to think they don't see the threat from within from heart disease. While I agree wholeheartedly firearms and training in their use is critical, I would argue many of us are neglecting the physical training we need. I have even seen jokes about having a gun so you don't have to run, but you can't outrun the time bomb in your chest from poor health.

The other thing I've noticed, especially with those who open carry is the alarming lack of situational awareness or at least what I am perceiving as a lack of it. It seems like half of them could have their gun taken right out of their holster, but maybe I'm wrong and inexperienced in this regard.

I will admit, I need to work on both of these too. Had a newborn recently and haven't been to the Gym in a month. Starting back tomorrow now that things are more stable. I also admit my situational awareness is lacking at times. I was at the beach with my kid the other day and texting my brother in California, when a pitbull ran right up on here (friendly) that a beachgoer did not have leashed. Even with my revolver if that dog had attacked her I'd have already been too late. I have much to work on...

I guess my question is do you think we are (generally speaking) not having enough of a balance here? Or am I overstating the problem.

 

[robertrwalsh]

Situational awareness is, or should be, a HUGE thing. I cringe every time I see somebody bopping down the street with ear buds in. A pack of giant dogs or the entire Red Chinese army could be running up behind them and they would never know it. It is much more effective and safer if you can react to a threat before it bites you on the butt, or slugs you on the head with a baseball bat.

 

[Eric300]

I've always said: "Your Mind Is Your Primary Weapon".

Survival Favors The Prepared Mind.

 

[URIT]

BabaBlueJay, you've made some good discussion points regarding the importance of physical health and situational awareness.

I believe physical fitness is important to react to harmful events and extend our active years lifestyle. That said, I consider diet more important to good health than working out at a gym or club; even though, I'm an active Silver Sneakers participant at Planet Fitness and walk more than 2 miles a day.

What I find alarming is the lack of influence our doctors have with us today. They have become pill pushers rather than strong health advisors.

Our family physicians never talk about diet or point out how important our waistline measurement can be as an indicator for heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

Situational awareness seems to have fallen to smart phones along with other social skills.

We recognize situational awareness' importance when we experience a shocking life threatening event that might have been less impactful if we had had a greater awareness of what was going on around us.

Personal defense skill sets are challenged when you aren't able to respond quickly to a threat.

 

[BB57]

BabaBlueJay, you've made some good discussion points regarding the importance of physical health and situational awareness.

I believe physical fitness is important to react to harmful events and extend our active years lifestyle. That said, I consider diet more important to good health than working out at a gym or club; even though, I'm an active Silver Sneakers participant at Planet Fitness and walk more than 2 miles a day.

What I find alarming is the lack of influence our doctors have with us today. They have become pill pushers rather than strong health advisors.

Our family physicians never talk about diet or point out how important our waistline measurement can be as an indicator for heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

Situational awareness seems to have fallen to smart phones along with other social skills.

We recognize situational awareness' importance when we experience a shocking life threatening event that might have been less impactful if we had had a greater awareness of what was going on around us.

Personal defense skill sets are challenged when you aren't able to respond quickly to a threat.

Yes and no. The quality of health care has certainly declined in the US and that goes double for preventative health care.

In many areas general practitioners are all but gone, and in many health care plans you get what ever resident is available, and then when he or she leaves in a few years you get someone new. It's not a great system.

At the same time, under the old system, where doctors were more independent and had to work with the hospital for hospital privileges, doctors often ordered diagnostic services that would not actually change the diagnosis or treatment. Those non necessary services did serve to ensure they referred enough dollars worth of diagnostic services per month to maintain hospital privileges.

In terms of BMI, etc. there is a lot of emerging data and research to show that it doesn't mean nearly as much as it's been given credit for. A lot of those well intended but mis guided and off target and erroneous conclusions were based on research methodology errors, that ironically enough were often built in to ensure publishable results.

Worse, constantly harping on people about needing to lose weight every time the patient had contact with a doctor wasn't productive, often occurred at the expense of not listening or paying attention to what was really going on, and discouraging the patient from coming back.

 

[dockmurgw]

I don't know...let me ponder this while I enjoy a cigarette.

 

[Eric300]

I don't know...let me ponder this while I enjoy a cigarette.

And a few shots of bourbon...

 

[Old cop]

Open carry (OC) is legal where I live but it is unusual. That said when I see someone who is OC my impression is they're trying to draw attention to themselves and not paying attention to what's going on around them, a real recipe for disaster.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Fight's gonna be over in 30 seconds anyway, one way or the other . . .

 

[Rustyt1953]

 

[Sevens]

I think both your points are valid however your first point about physical fitness seems to be a USA problem having nothing specific to do with gun owners or those who carry guns.

I think if you took a representative sample of all:

--football fans
--coin collectors
--gearhead car guys
--folks who own/carry guns
--bowlers
--movie goers
--add your own not specifically involving physical exertion

...you're likely to find that a large portion of these folks are overweight, lack exercise, eat poorly, make other less optimal health choices, etc etc.

As for folks carrying guns that lack training, awareness and other things they might be good... YES, you'll find lots of that as well.

If you really want to see a spectacle, visit a publicly accessible gun show. Then visit the closest buffet restaurant to that gun show.

 

[Sevens]

I am a newer gun owner. I bought my first gun roughly 3 years ago when the riots happened, and I saw Asians being attacked. Over those 3 years I have learned a lot and slowly have quite a bit of kit and training to use it. Everyone I have met in the 2A community has been amazing to my family and I, which contradicts all the nonsense I heard all my life.

This is nice to hear and I hope you expand your enjoyment of firearms. It occurs to me that on gun forums especially that there is a heavy, HEAVY leaning towards the defensive use of firearms. (perhaps less so on this particular forum than many or most others)

I carry a firearm on my person for defense as do many. I keep firearms in my home for defense as well, as do many.

The distinction I'd like to make is that defense is not the center of my involvement and love for firearms. It's but a part. I practice with my defensive guns, but I shoot because I really, really enjoy it. I feel as if all of my shooting is helpful to my skill with a defensive gun even if I don't dedicate all of my time and money to training and defensive practice.

There are untold masses of gun guys who train train train and it's safe to say that they are "better" than I am in a defensive scenario and I'm okay with that.

I'm a gun guy because I love guns, not because I believe I'm going to find myself in a shootout with a crackhead.

I say this because it seems like so many on gun forums spend an awful lot of time discussing their pending dance with possible death in a back alley.

Again, less in the S&W Forum than most, as so many here are collectors as well as shooters.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

And a few shots of bourbon...

Yes, yes, never omit the bourbon!!!

Situational awareness has to be taught and practiced and the average citizen lives in a world of "it won't happen to me". Add in the phones and earbuds and you have a recipe for being completely unaware of anything around you. Sadly, the average gun owner is just as guilty of this as anyone else.

I have only known one person, now sadly deceased, who routinely openly carried his pistol and he was a good friend and a neat guy in many ways. And an extremely well-known forensic dentist. But his Vietnam PTSD was overwhelmingly obvious if you were paying any attention at all to his demeanor and manner of dress so it didn't surprise me that he openly carried a handgun.

Other than this cool character, whom I really miss, nobody else I know openly carries and I know a lot of folks who carry concealed.

I don't think that physical fitness is relevant to the issue.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Fight's gonna be over in 30 seconds anyway, one way or the other . . .

Since I possess neither health nor fitness 30 seconds is a generous stretch.

Just tell them not to hurt my mules.

 

[robertrwalsh]

Yeah Muss, but if you see them coming 5 seconds before they plan on making contact, you have a LOT more options than you would otherwise. I am on the wrong side of 70 and I can draw and get off five or six aimed shots in five seconds.

 

[Rustyt1953]

The current MO widely used for thuggery is ambush. Folks are "Pearl Harbored" before they realize it.

 

[ladder13]

 

[Bald1]

BB57, complete agree. BMI is for the birds. My BMI has been "high" my whole life. Even when my body fat was 10-12%. It's outdated and does not consider what the mass is made of. ie Muscle vs fat. Arnold Schwarzenegger would have been considered obese in his prime.

 

[snubbyfan]

I've been working on getting myself as healthy and fit as possible. In fact I have a thread committed to it.
Health and Fitness Thread
That being said, sometimes ya gotta take a break.


Dunno if it's my American Indian ancestry or not but I always feel like I havta be aware of what's going on around me.

 

[Smoke]

In general, we're far more likely to die of heart disease then we are to be killed in gunfight.

Planet Fitness is only 15 bucks a month. You could do the treadmill twice a week and the 30 minute room for an hour three times a week and you'd be ahead of probably 70% of Americans.