FITNESS AND EXERCISE : What Every Man (and Woman) Should Be Able to Do in an Emergency

Most people who exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet do it because they want to
enjoy a long life, they want to improve their appearance, and, in the case of exercise,
relieve stress. But there's another important reason to keep yourself in peak physical
condition. In a recent issue of his daily e-zine, Matt Furey (see Ed. Note, below) quoted
fitness pioneer Earle Liederman, who wrote:
"Every man should be able to save his own life. He should be able to swim far enough,
and run fast and long enough to save his life in case of emergency and necessity."
How do you know if you have enough functional strength and endurance to save yourself
(or someone else) in an emergency? According to Liederman, you should be able to:
• swim at least half a mile
• run at top speed at least 200 yards
• jump over obstacles higher than your waist
• pull your body upward by the strength of your arms 15 to 20 times.