Military enlisted men have many responsibilities: staying fit, learning life-saving tactical skills, performing administrative tasks, and dealing with the near-endless stress of performing a potentially dangerous job, day and night. When they first join the military (and other tactical occupations), their primary goals are to learn and perform new skills quickly, while being physically stressed. These two skills typically measure their potential for job performance.
Work performance
Being fit to do your job is easy to understand. The term “tactical fitness” has been around for 15 years and means that people in tactical professions must be able to fully perform their job and be strong enough to save their own life, the life of their partners or the life of victims during emergency situations and in any possible terrain.
There is a certain level of fitness required to perform that primary mission, and the ability to apply tactical skills learned during training defines job performance. If fitness is not part of your daily programming and you are in a tactical profession, you could be putting your life and the people you protect at risk.
But physical activity is about more than just doing your job; it’s also about being healthy and setting yourself up for longevity in your chosen career. Regardless of your job, you’ll hopefully be older longer than you’re younger in this lifetime. Start preparing for the decades ahead while you’re still young.
Health and well-being now ensure longevity
If you are going to make it in the military, police or fire service, realize that you will be older longer than you are younger. Your twenties will probably not bring many problems because you are still training, working and even playing hard without many negative consequences of a stressful life.
Things start to change in your 30s and 40s, when you’re no longer able to outdo your diet and need more time to recover from workouts. Life’s stresses also increase with family life and work responsibilities, so the need to “pursue active recovery” is a new mantra for staying healthy. This means taking your sleep, nutrition, and other de-stressing skills very seriously.
The Big 3: Sleep, Nutrition and Breathing
These are the three big stress recovery tools. Sure, sleeping, eating right, and breathing aren’t sexy, but they don’t require buying ice baths, infrared saunas, massage tools, or compression boots. If you really want to recover from stress (physical, mental, emotional, work, family, etc.), start with the basics: sleep, nutrition, and breathing. When you get these three tools in balance, you’ll find that your health, well-being, and work performance all improve. Also, mastering these three recovery tools is the key to longevity in your career and life after your career.
It’s not easy. The long days, sleepless nights, combat missions, work stress, family stress, and poor eating habits will take their toll in your 30s, 40s, and beyond. Here are the requirements to improve your health and well-being:
Sleep — It’s #1: You need to sleep. Even if you work night shifts and irregular hours, your sleep should be a priority. Even nutritionists will tell you that sleep is our most important recovery tool after the stressful events that happen every day. Tips for a better night’s sleep:
- Do not drink caffeine long before going to sleep. If you stop drinking caffeine eight hours before bedtime, you may fall asleep more easily because caffeine has a half-life of 5-9 hours. (Stop caffeine)
- Set your watch to bedtime. I set my watch about an hour before I go to sleep. This reminds me to start winding down, put on sleepwear, stop looking at screens (phone, computer, TV) and actively prepare for sleep.
- Turn off electronics Make sure you have darkness at least 30-45 minutes before bedtime, unless you decide to read (a book, but not on a screen).
- Set a cool temperature to sleep. Studies show that 67-70 degrees Fahrenheit is a good range for falling asleep quickly. Take a quick shower to cool your body down and use a fan if air conditioning is limited.
- Go dark or wear an eye mask. When it is time to go to sleep, remove as many light sources from the room as possible, even during the day.
Power supply planning (food and water): As we get older, the hard-gainer lifestyle of our teens and 20s no longer applies to most people. You can’t out-diet, so focusing on portion control is a must, even with healthy foods. Foods rich in protein and amino acids, good carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables), fats, antioxidants, electrolytes, omega-3 fatty acids, and other vitamins and minerals (supplements) are required for a balanced diet.
You need 80-100 ounces of water daily, as well as electrolytes if you sweat heavily or are in dry environments that leave salt stains on your clothing. If these are not in sync, you will not have the fuel to handle workloads or workouts with the power required to perform your job or meet the physical demands of training. See Military.com — Diet and Nutrition section. Food is fuel for future events, but it is also recovery from the stresses of the day, just like sleep.
Breathing is a natural tool to reduce stress: We breathe more when we exercise. That helps, but learning to breathe deeply to reduce stress and anxiety is a useful tool that you can use anywhere for the rest of your life. You have the power to promote calmness just by breathing.
The next time you’re faced with a stressful moment, whether it’s an approaching deadline or a challenging conversation, remember to take a minute to breathe. Try to take 4-5 breaths in that minute to effectively manage your emotions. Start by inhaling fully through your nose, then hold your breath for 2-3 seconds. Finally, exhale slowly through your mouth for 10-15 seconds. This simple technique can help to ease any nerves, butterflies in your stomach, or anxiety you may be feeling.
Consider incorporating this breathing exercise into your nighttime routine as well. Doing this for a few minutes as you prepare for bed can significantly improve your ability to relax, laying the foundation for better, more restorative sleep. Getting a solid night’s sleep (6-7 hours) most days and eating well can help you achieve most of your health, wellness, and stress-reduction goals. Talk to friends, spiritual leaders, or counselors if you feel like you need more than your body’s big three goals: sleep, nutrition, and breathing.
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