In Zombieland, what is Columbus’s first survival rule?

Cardio is Columbus’s first survival rule in Zombieland.

The 2009 horror comedy presents Columbus’s rules as recurring on-screen advice for surviving a zombie apocalypse. His first rule, “Cardio,” jokes that people who are physically fit may outrun the undead, while those who become exhausted quickly are more vulnerable.

Jesse Eisenberg plays Columbus, a cautious young survivor who narrates his experiences through the rules. Other memorable rules include “Double Tap,” which advises ensuring that a zombie is fully incapacitated, and “Beware of Bathrooms,” which warns about confined spaces.

The film was directed by Ruben Fleischer and pairs Columbus with Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock during a journey across the United States. Its numbered rules became one of the movie’s signature comic devices and were expanded in the 2019 sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap.