Capability · What you can do · 12 min read
The five Ready Body tests: is your body ready for a bad week?
The five Ready Body tests: carry two full shopping bags up two flights, walk 5 km in an hour, get up off the floor without your hands, climb ten flights and still talk, and hang from a bar for 30 seconds. Pass all five and you’re ready for most of a bad week. If not, each has a four-week plan.
Why your body is kit
We talk a lot on this site about water, torches and tinned food. All of it matters. But the one piece of kit you take into every emergency, planned or not, is your body. It has to get the water home, get you home, and get you up the stairs.
A real UK bad week isn’t dramatic. The power goes off for a couple of days, so the lift stops and every trip is on foot. The water supply is interrupted and you’re carrying containers back from a bowser. The trains stop and it’s a 5 km walk home in work shoes. A neighbour who is older or unwell needs a hand. None of it is heroic. It’s just heavy, tiring and long.
If the stairs and the shopping bags are already easy on a normal Tuesday, they’ll be manageable on a bad one. That’s the whole idea.
These are our standards, chosen because they map to what emergencies actually ask of a body. They are not medical tests, they don’t diagnose anything, and they’re not a substitute for NHS guidance. Think of them as a stock-check, the same as counting what’s in your cupboard.
How to take the tests safely
You don’t need to do all five in one go. Spread them over a week and treat them as a curious look at where you are, not an exam.
- Warm up first. Five minutes of easy walking, a few gentle squats to a chair, some arm circles.
- Wear what you’d actually wear. Ordinary shoes, ordinary bag. Part of the point is finding out how you cope in real clothes.
- Stop if something hurts. Effort is fine. Sharp pain, dizziness, chest tightness or feeling faint are not.
- Don’t test on a bad day. Ill, exhausted or carrying a niggle? Wait a week.
- Have someone nearby for the hang and the floor test if you’re unsure of your balance.
The NHS advice is to speak to your GP first if you have not exercised for some time, or if you have medical conditions or concerns. We’d add: check before you start if you’re pregnant or recovering from surgery. That applies to the tests and the progressions below.
The five tests
| Test | What to do | Pass standard | What it maps to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Carry | 15–20 kg (two full shopping bags) up two flights of stairs | No stop, no strain | A week of water for one person |
| 2. Walk | 5 km at a brisk pace | 60 minutes or under | Getting home when transport stops |
| 3. Get up | Floor to standing, no hands, both sides | Smooth and steady on both | Leg strength, balance, independence |
| 4. Climb | 10 flights of stairs | Can hold a conversation at the top | Lifts stop in power cuts |
| 5. Hang on | Dead hang from a bar (or hold two heavy bags at your sides) | 30 seconds on the bar, or 60 seconds with bags | Grip to hold, pull, carry and steady |
Test 1: Carry
What to do. Load two bags to a combined 15–20 kg (tins and bottles are easy to weigh on the bathroom scales). One in each hand, walk up two flights of stairs, roughly 24 to 30 steps. No stairs at home? Use a station, a car park or a friend’s block.
Pass standard. You reach the top without putting the bags down and without straining. Breathing goes up; your back doesn’t complain.
What it tells you. Whether you can move the most important supply in any emergency. Government guidance says a minimum of 2.5 to 3 litres of drinking water per person per day is recommended for survival. Call it 3 litres for a week and that’s around 21 kg for one person. If you can get that up two flights in one go, you can restock a flat without a lift.
If you can’t yet. Start lighter and shorter. Carrying is strength work, so it counts towards the NHS advice to strengthen all major muscle groups on at least two days a week.
| Week | Farmer’s carry (two bags, flat ground) | Step-ups | Loaded stairs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 × 5 kg, 3 walks of 30 m, twice a week | 2 sets of 8 each leg | None yet |
| 2 | 2 × 7 kg, 3 walks of 40 m | 2 sets of 10 each leg | One flight, 2 × 3 kg |
| 3 | 2 × 8 kg, 4 walks of 40 m | 3 sets of 10, holding 2 × 3 kg | One flight, 2 × 5 kg |
| 4 | 2 × 10 kg, 4 walks of 40 m | 3 sets of 10, holding 2 × 5 kg | Two flights, 2 × 7 kg |
Keep the bags close to your sides, shoulders back, one step at a time.
Test 2: Walk
What to do. Map out 5 km and walk it briskly. Brisk means you can talk but couldn’t comfortably sing.
Pass standard. 60 minutes or under, and you feel you could carry on if you had to.
What it tells you. Whether you can get home when the trains stop or roads close. It also tells you something about being on your feet for an hour, which is what queueing, fetching and helping come down to.
If you can’t yet. Brisk walking is the NHS’s first example of moderate-intensity activity, and 150 minutes a week of it meets the adult guideline on its own. Build minutes before pace.
| Week | Walks per week | Length | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 20 minutes | Comfortable |
| 2 | 4 | 30 minutes | Comfortable, last 5 minutes brisk |
| 3 | 4 | 40 minutes | Brisk for half |
| 4 | 3 plus one long walk | 30 minutes, plus one of 50 | Brisk throughout |
From week 3, add a small backpack with a bottle of water so you get used to walking with a load.
Test 3: Get up
What to do. Sit on the floor. Stand up without using your hands, knees or forearms. Sit back down the same way. Repeat leading with the other leg.
Pass standard. Up and down smoothly on both sides, without a wobble that makes you reach for something.
What it tells you. Leg strength, hip mobility and balance in one go. In practice: getting up after a slip, getting down to help someone who has fallen, and staying independent. It’s exactly the strength, balance and flexibility work the NHS asks older adults to do at least twice a week.
If you can’t yet. Start from a chair and work downwards, next to something solid you can grab.
| Week | Sit-to-stand | Kneel-to-stand | Floor work |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dining chair, 3 sets of 8, hands crossed on chest | 2 sets of 5 each side, hand on a chair | Get down and up any way you can, twice a week |
| 2 | Sofa height, 3 sets of 8 | 2 sets of 6 each side, fingertip support | From a cushion, stand with one hand, 5 each side |
| 3 | Low stool, 3 sets of 10 | 3 sets of 6 each side, no support | From a cushion, no hands, 5 each side |
| 4 | Low stool, 3-second lowering, 3 sets of 8 | 3 sets of 8 each side, no support | From the floor, no hands, 5 each side |
Test 4: Climb
What to do. Ten flights of stairs at a steady, purposeful walk. Don’t run. Your own stairs ten times over is fine.
Pass standard. At the top, you can hold a normal conversation. Breathing hard is fine. Hands on knees is not a pass yet.
What it tells you. Whether a power cut turns your building into a problem. Lifts stop when the electricity does, and so does any plan that relies on them. The NHS lists walking up stairs as vigorous-intensity activity, so this is a fair test of general fitness too.
If you can’t yet. Stairs are the progression. Fewer of them, more often.
| Week | Sessions per week | Flights per session | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 3, walking down between each | As long as you need |
| 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 minute after every flight |
| 3 | 3 | 7 | 1 minute after every 2 flights |
| 4 | 3 | 10 | No planned rest, slow down instead |
Test 5: Hang on
What to do. Find a bar: a pull-up bar, a playground frame, a solid beam. Grip with both hands, feet off the ground, straight arms. No bar? Stand holding two heavy bags (aim for 10 kg each) at your sides.
Pass standard. 30 seconds on the bar, or 60 seconds with the bags, without letting go.
What it tells you. How strong your grip is. Grip holds a handrail on a crowded staircase, steadies a ladder, pulls a door open against the wind, carries the water and helps someone up. Almost everything your hands do in an emergency starts with being able to hold on.
If you can’t yet. Grip improves quickly with short, regular holds. Step down under control rather than dropping.
| Week | Hang or hold | Towel work | Farmer’s carry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toes on a chair, 5 × 10 seconds | Squeeze a rolled towel hard, 5 × 10 seconds | 2 × 5 kg for 30 m, 3 times |
| 2 | Toes on a chair, 5 × 15 seconds | Towel squeeze, 5 × 15 seconds | 2 × 7 kg for 30 m, 3 times |
| 3 | Full hang, 4 × 10 seconds | Hang from a towel over the bar, 3 × 10 seconds | 2 × 8 kg for 40 m, 3 times |
| 4 | Full hang, 3 × 20 seconds | Towel hang, 3 × 15 seconds | 2 × 10 kg for 40 m, 3 times |
Scoring
One point for every test you pass on a clean attempt.
| Score | Level | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Ready | Retest every 3 months. Keep to the NHS guideline of 150 minutes a week plus two strength days. Help a neighbour or relative take the tests. |
| 3–4 | Solid | Run the four-week progression for the tests you missed. Retest at week 5. |
| 1–2 | Getting there | Start with walking and sit-to-stand; they build the base for everything else. Add carries and stairs from week 3. Retest at week 8. |
| 0 | Starting out | A good place to begin, honestly. Speak to your GP if you haven’t exercised for some time, then start week 1 of the walk and get-up plans. Retest at week 8 and expect real change. |
Nobody scores badly on a stock-check. They just find out what to buy next.
The 12-week Ready Body programme
If you’d rather have it laid out for you, the 12-week Ready Body programme puts all five progressions into one calendar: three walks, two strength sessions and one stair session a week, scaled to your starting score. It needs nothing beyond stairs, a chair, two bags and somewhere to hang, it’s built to match the NHS guidelines for adults and older adults, and it ends with a full retest.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a gym?
No. Every test and progression uses stairs, a chair, shopping bags and a bar you can find in a park.
I’m 68. Is this for me?
Yes, arguably more so. The NHS asks adults 65 and over for the same 150 moderate minutes weekly, plus strength, balance and flexibility on at least two days; the get-up and carry tests are exactly that. Start with the chair versions, and speak to your GP first if you haven’t exercised for some time or have medical concerns.
What if I have a bad knee?
Ask your GP or a physiotherapist before loading it, then adjust rather than skip: a higher chair for sit-to-stand, fewer flights with a handrail, carries on flat ground. The walk and hang tests usually don’t trouble knees. Pain that gets worse as you go is your signal to stop.
How often should I retest?
Every three months if you passed everything. If you’re on a progression, retest that one test at the end of its four weeks. Put the date in your diary next to checking torch batteries and rotating your water.
Is walking enough?
It gets you most of the way. Brisk walking meets the NHS aerobic guideline on its own and covers the walk and climb tests. But it won’t build the grip or leg strength to carry water upstairs or get up off the floor, so the NHS also asks for strength work twice a week. Add carries and sit-to-stands.
What about children?
The weights and distances are for adults. Children love a challenge, though, so scale it down: one light bag up one flight, a 2 km walk, getting up without hands, hanging from a climbing frame. The best thing you can do for a child’s physical preparedness is walk places with them and let them carry something.
Sources and review
- NHS, Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64: at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week; strengthening all major muscle groups on at least 2 days a week; speak to your GP first if you have not exercised for some time or have medical conditions or concerns.
- NHS, Physical activity guidelines for older adults: the same weekly targets for adults 65 and over, plus strength, balance and flexibility activities on at least 2 days a week.
- UK Government, Get prepared for emergencies: a minimum of 2.5 to 3 litres of drinking water per person per day for survival.
The five Ready Body tests and their pass standards are Prep Not Panic’s own self-check standards. They are not medical tests and have not been clinically validated. They were chosen because they reflect the practical demands of common UK emergencies.
Written by Jon, who runs CF LongShot and a logistics company, and lifts and carries things for a living. Professional review: TBC. Review date: 26 August 2026.