MilitarySpot.com

Serving the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and National Guard

Follow MilitarySpot:
 
  • Home
  • Enlist
    • Join The Army
    • Join The Navy
    • Join The Air Force
    • Join The Marines
    • Join The Coast Guard
    • Join The National Guard
    • ASVAB
    • Army Physical Fitness Test
    • Military Draft
    • Prior Service Army Enlistment
  • Career
    • Join the Military
    • Jobs for Military and Civilians
    • Career Center
    • Prior Service Army Enlistment
    • Criminal Justice
  • Education
    • Online Schools
    • Spouse Education Benefits
    • GI Bill
    • Military Schools
    • Criminal Justice
  • Benefits
    • Army Benefits
    • Navy Benefits
    • Air Force Benefits
    • Marine Corps Benefits
    • National Guard Benefits
    • Coast Guard Benefits
    • Veteran Benefits
    • Basic Pay Rates
    • Allowances
    • Special & Incentive Pay
    • Military Spouse Education Benefits
    • VA Education Benefits
    • GI Bill
  • News
    • Headline News
  • Finance
    • Debt Relief
    • Military Pay Rates
    • Military Personal Loans
    • VA Loans
    • Military Star Card
    • Military MyPay
  • Spouses
    • School Finder
    • Scholarships & Grants
    • PCS, DITY, & Moving
    • Pay Rates
    • MyCAA
    • Education Benefits
  • Community
    • Military Games
    • Military Reunions
    • Classifieds
    • Photo Gallery
    • Buddy Finder
    • MilitarySpot Pinups
    • Military Bases
  • Resources
    • Military Alphabet
    • Military Reunions
    • Military Acronyms
    • Currency Converter
    • Military Tools
    • Ranks
    • Military Time
    • Military Tactics
    • Military Discounts
    • Military Games
    • Military Videos
    • Photo Gallery
    • Infographics
    • How To
  • Travel

Health and Fitness for Soldiers

By Eve Goodkind

Health and Fitness for Soldiers

It’s important for everyone to stay fit and healthy; but for soldiers, it’s essential to have a high level of physical fitness in order to perform at the optimum level. The rise in obesity in the United States has sparked renewed interest in physical fitness, leading to more studies on the effects of exercise.

Experts agree that a proper exercise program carried out on a regular basis can not only help you keep fit and stay at a healthy weight, but can also improve your mental health, quality of life and productivity. Being a soldier is all about becoming the best person you can be and physical fitness is an integral part of that. Read on to discover what you need to do to prepare for being a soldier.

What is Fitness?

There’s more to fitness than physical exercise. It’s also important to ensure you keep healthy in other ways such as insuring that you have healthy teeth and eyes and that any medical problems are dealt with. Military experts define fitness as the ability to effectively function in training, physical work and other activities whilst still having enough energy reserves to deal with arising emergencies. To increase your fitness level before embarking on Basic Combat Training, you should focus on the following:

Cardio

Increasing your heart rate for prolonged periods is the only way to give your heart the exercise it needs. To improve your cardio fitness swimming, biking or running.

Endurance and Strength

Endurance and strength are important for soldiers on the battlefield today. Use resistance training to increase your strength and insurance, such as weights or exercise bands.

Flexibility

The more flexible you are the less prone to injury you will be, which helps with tasks like rappelling, running, parachuting, climbing and so on.

There’s more to fitness than physical exercise. It’s also important to ensure you keep healthy in other ways such as insuring that you have healthy teeth and eyes and that any medical problems are dealt with.

Nutrition and Hydration

The food you at is as important a factor in keeping fit as the exercise you carry out. Developing good habits and maintaining a healthy diet will help you perform to your full potential. As a soldier, you’ll be provided with the healthy and nutritious meals you need, but it’s a good idea to get into the habit of healthy eating as soon as possible. It’s also essential to keep hydrated and drink plenty of water when you exercise and throughout your day.

Water - Being hydrated is an integral part of any fitness regime, especially if you’re in hotter climates. As a rule of thumb you should be drinking 75% of your body weight in ounces every day.

Food - To maintain a healthy weight you need to consume less calories than you burn off, but it’s also important to avoid high fat and high sugar foods as they’re highly calorific and have little nutritional value. To give yourself energy throughout the day eat a wide variety of foods that includes fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates and dairy produce. Look for foods which are high in fibre to aid digestion and encourage a healthy bowel.

Keeping Safe When Exercising

When exercising there are several safety considerations you need to take into account to avoid injury so make sure you do it right. Whenever you exercise, always:

  • Warm up before and cool down after exercising
  • Don’t exceed the prescribed sets and repetitions in your exercise program. It’s more important to do it right than execute sloppy repetitions.
  • Carry out your exercise in the given order. If you miss a day then pick up with your next day’s schedule.
  • If possible exercise with a partner, this will help you stay motivated and keep safe.
  • When you exercise hard, injuries happen, but don’t aggravate them by continuing with exercise. Give your body time to heal or you could make the injury much worse.
  • Before you begin any program you should talk to a physician and undertake a routine physical exam.

Controlling Injury

The majority of exercise related injuries are completely avoidable. One of the most common ways that injury can be caused by over exercising, whilst the most common running injuries can occur to feet, ankles and legs. In order to give yourself the best chance of avoiding injury, always wear the proper attire, including the correct footwear, warm up and cool down and give yourself time to recover between bouts of exercise.

Comments

Filed Under: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Enlist, Marines, National Guard, Navy, Recruiting

  • News
  • Enlist
  • Education
  • Career
  • Finance

DoD Moves Forward With PCS Overhaul

JULY 26, 2025 – The Defense Department’s Permanent Change of Station Joint Task Force is taking decisive steps to stabilize the military move process following the termination of its contract with HomeSafe Alliance, June 18, 2025. During a press briefing earlier this week, Army Maj. Gen. Lance G. Curtis, task force commander, stated that the […]

Air National Guard Unveils New Bonus Program

MARCH 11, 2023 – On March 1st, the Air National Guard (ANG) launched a new bonus program to attract and retain personnel in critical specialties. The initiative offers significant financial rewards, with bonuses of up to $90,000 for eligible members, depending on their Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSCs). This strategic move aims to strengthen the […]

Education Benefits Make Stronger Service Members

APRIL 3, 2025 – Within the armed forces, a variety of educational benefits are available that allow service members to both improve themselves and make themselves more valuable to their service branch. One example is the Military Tuition Assistance Program. The program is available to enlisted personnel, officers and warrant officers in the Army, Navy, […]

Former Soldier Navigates Job Hunt

NOVEMBER 19, 2024 — In early 2017, Michael Quinn endured what he called the worst day in the worst year of his life. Quinn, then a sergeant major and 24-year Army Soldier, had weathered deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Philippines. As an Army counter-intelligence agent, he said he learned to operate under grave circumstances […]

Financial Planning for Military Families

JUNE 25, 2025 – Have you ever wondered how military families manage their finances while dealing with deployments, relocations, and changing pay structures? Financial planning is a vital part of life for families who serve. With unique benefits, challenges, and lifestyle changes, military families must make smart financial decisions that protect their future and help […]

Recent Posts

  • DoD Moves Forward With PCS Overhaul
  • Army Unveils Lightweight Combat Assault Ration
  • Coast Guard National Security Cutter Returns
  • USNS Comfort Arrives in Limón, Costa Rica
  • Air Force Shows Off It’s Mobility
MAINMENU



Powered by pixfuture


SITESEARCH
Can't find something? Try using our site search to dig through our entire site.



Still having trouble? Try the Advanced Search to refine your searches.
NEWSLETTERSUBSCRIBE
Sign Up To Receive Information, Updates and Special Officers from MilitarySpot.com.



Don't miss an issue! Jump in the Newsletter Archives to catch up on previous issues.
FOLLOWMILITARY SPOT

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & StumbleUpon and more. Keep up with MilitarySpot.com news & updates. We also have an RSS Feed.

Advertise | About | Contact | Feedback | Unsubscribe | DMCA | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
 
Copyright 2004-2025 Sun Key Publishing. All Rights Reserved.



 
This is not the official recruiting website of the U.S. Military. The site you are on is run by Sun Key Publishing, a private company, and is not endorsed by or affiliated with the U.S. Military.