The Big 5 Reasons Veterans Need To Do More PT 

We've all worked long hours and achieved a high standard of physical fitness at one point. Unfortunately, once we're out, veterans actually have a greater rate of obesity than the general population and exercise less.

This can be for a few reasons, mainly injuries that cause too much pain to get up and move but there's also a psychological component to this lack of activity. Here are 5 big reasons you need to start moving, now. 

The Big 5

1. Exercise is a known anti-depressant
2. PT decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease
3. Doing PT outside improves vitamin D levels
4. Regular exercise regulates blood sugar
5. PT improves and maintains muscle mass

Exercise is a known antidepressant

Yes, indeed it is. According to a study done at the University of Vermont;

"Findings from the study reveal that physical exercise is so effective at alleviating patient symptoms that it could reduce patients’ time admitted to acute facilities and reliance on psychotropic medications."

Pretty cool eh?

This isn't anything new; ever heard of ASICS (Anima Sana In Corpore Sano)? It means a sound mind in a sound body. This is what the ancients knew and made sure that they trained their bodies as much as their minds since you can't disassociate them.

My favourite quote from Socrates:

“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”

PT Decreases Risk of CVD

This shouldn't come as a shock but if you work out, your heart, which is a muscle, gets stronger and more efficient. Strong things are harder to kill, your heart included. According to an interesting study done with firefighters, those that could do 40 consecutive push-ups had a decrease in mortality risk from cardiovascular disease.

PT Outside Increases Vitamin D Levels

Vitamin D is crucial to many metabolic functions but the problem is, most people that live in more Northern latitude zones don't get enough of it. It's linked to all kinds of health issues but mainly lower testosterone levels in men. So get outside and get your D. Twenty to thirty minutes a day of direct sun exposure, preferably on that big, caveman chest of yours!

Check out a great post from Dave Morrow PT on how low testosterone might be affecting you after your military service.

Exercise Regulates Blood Sugar

Type II diabetes is the greatest plague of modernity the world has ever seen and it's one of the reasons I got activated to enter the fitness space. My mother was diagnosed with it about 20 years ago and it seemed like everyone around me was also being diagnosed with it. I'm not wrong either. I remember reading this way back in the late 2000s.

"About 18 million people die every year from cardiovascular disease, for which diabetes and hypertension are major predisposing factors. Today, more than 1.7 billion adults worldwide are overweight, and 312 million of them are obese. In addition, at least 155 million children worldwide are overweight or obese. A diabetes epidemic is underway. "

The awesome thing about diabetes is that it's totally preventable, amigo.

Yeah, you just gotta stop putting tasty cakes in your cake hole and doing some daily PT.

Blood sugar levels can be regulated with all forms of PT, including walking.

I had a great conversation on the Hard To Kill Podcast about exercise minimums with Dr. Kelly Starrett and how you can start ensuring you get your baselines in every day. Check it out here

PT Improves & Maintains Muscle Mass

Since we haven't invented the muscle pill yet, you'll have to lift something to keep or build your beastly body's muscle mass. Even regular walking can improve muscle mass.

"A 2018 study by Nagoya University(opens in new tab) finding that muscle quality was improved among 31 participants after 10 weeks of regular 30-minute sets of walking." 

There you have it. Now you need to execute. Come JOIN OUR MAILING LIST to get the first crack at our new game that will motivate you to get those miles in, pounding the pavement. 

Our game will be 100% free to download and you'll be able to challenge your buddies and earn points for every workout. Find out more about the game here.