After military service, did you or will you continue to maintain the same level of fitness?

RallyPoint Team — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 15:34:13 -0400

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 26 at 2017 4:11 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 16:11:52 -0400

For quite some time, I was actually in better shape than I was while in.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 26 at 2017 4:13 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 16:13:52 -0400

When I left the Army the first time I think I actually ended up getting in better shape. When I was in the Army my fitness always seemed to center around the PT test. Once I got out I could pursue whatever activity I wanted and forget about the pushups/situp/2 mile run nonsense. I was more balanced and my body felt a whole lot better. Now that I'm back in and my schedule is crazy busy I think I'm once again becoming one dimensional.

Response by CPT Joseph K Murdock made Jun 26 at 2017 4:20 PM

CPT Joseph K Murdock — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 16:20:02 -0400

I lost some fat. I work out every day, none of the muscle building stuff, just to maintain. The hospital took my labs and I am in perfect health. I am 51 and a couple nurses thought I was in my 30s or 40s lol.

Response by MSG Lance Kelly made Jun 26 at 2017 4:24 PM

MSG Lance Kelly — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 16:24:40 -0400

I plan to get back in shape. As 2LT Beggs said, physical fitness was always geared toward passing the APFT. The last several years PT has been on my own but I allowed to many other things to get in the way. About a month or two prior to the APFT I would start running a little more and do some push-ups and sit-ups but that was it. I do go hiking and had been walking up to 8 miles a day. I want to get back into the walking and more hiking. I love to run but my low back, hips and knees can't seem to take too much running these days. I have also been working out in my swimming pool which is refreshing and a little easier on the joints.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 26 at 2017 4:28 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 16:28:50 -0400

I'm in MEDCOM so I'm basically not in the Army (kidding, sort of)... Physical Training is on our own as long as you pass the APFT. That being said, I would not equate any programing that focuses on passing that silly test to equate with fitness or health.
The Military as a whole seems to forget that health comes from what you eat and how much you rest IOT recover. Fitness comes from getting exercise that improves your ability to do your job and then do the activities that you want to do.

Response by CW5 Sam R. Baker made Jun 26 at 2017 4:39 PM

CW5 Sam R. Baker — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 16:39:19 -0400

I would like to think so with the drastic numbers of retirees and their degrading health, we all seem to say we are in health "IN" the Army, it really is a personal choice, like shaving!

Response by PO1 Brian Austin made Jun 26 at 2017 5:10 PM

PO1 Brian Austin — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 17:10:41 -0400

Yes, to a degree. Weight wise i'm about 15 lbs lighter. BP and cholesterol (good before) are lower than before i retired. I can still bust out the sit ups. But due to my bad knee's and shoulder's i wouldn't be able to do the run and push up portion's of the PRT.
These days i consider Aleve be a major food group. I easily exceed the USDA recommended daily allowance. :)

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 26 at 2017 7:08 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 19:08:03 -0400

Although I'm still finishing a contract in the Army, I feel as though I was in better shape and made healthier decisions before I joined. I look forward to ETSing and working out more because I WANT to and not because I HAVE to.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 26 at 2017 7:33 PM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 19:33:21 -0400

While preparing for SFAS about three years ago, I started going to the gym with two of my friends that were going to selection at the same time. Even though my focus was to prepare for selection, I came to find out that I really enjoyed going to gym. Gaining strength and weight was enjoyable as well as seeing how my body was shaping up. So I do think I will continue to maintain and probably even up my level of fitness. The one thing I probably will change is cardio. I do not think I will be doing as much cardio as I do right now.

Response by SFC Dennis A. made Jun 26 at 2017 7:54 PM

SFC Dennis A. — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 19:54:10 -0400

I think about it all the time but it doesn't seem to work as well as actually doing it.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 27 at 2017 12:53 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 12:53:32 -0400

I'm going to do what I want, when I want and how I want when I get out. So if I feel like going out for a walk or lifting weights or doing anything physical, then I will do it. If I don't, I won't. That's what I'll do when I retire. No focusing on the APFT or the Army's weight standards. Also no more doing situps that wreck people's backs and no one even does that way anymore.

Response by SSgt Holden M. made Jun 27 at 2017 1:55 PM

SSgt Holden M. — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 13:55:46 -0400

I thought I would try to but my knees were bothering enough when I got out to have a running waiver so I didn't have to do that part of the PT test and my shoulder was giving me issues so I had a waiver from doing the push up portion as well. I would like to but being in the civilian world now and working a lot I just haven't been able to motivate myself to make the time to work out

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 27 at 2017 3:45 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 15:45:02 -0400

Nope , sure didn't, gained 20 lbs in the first year and holding steady. BUT also earned 2D BB in TKD, and benched more than I ever did as a young man. been going to the gym 3 times a week until last month, just don't feel like it any more.

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Jun 27 at 2017 3:58 PM

SGT Dave Tracy — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 15:58:31 -0400

I have been working on it. I left Active at the end of 2012, and went into the Reserves. For the last 4.5 years I managed to maintain my fitness--enough to pass PT Tests anyway--but now that I have left the Reserves, I am slacking a bit. That said, I'm at the gym at least 3 times a week, but with school, family, and work, without the Army as motivation, its hard to maintain proper fitness.

Response by SSG Laurie Mullen made Jul 25 at 2017 3:02 AM

SSG Laurie Mullen — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 03:02:29 -0400

Nope. Stopped exercising for a while and then when I tried to get back into it I discovered that I had thyroid issues. Now I'm running or walking trails three to four times a week. It gets me away from people and the trails keep my mind occupied.

Response by CPT Zachary Brooks made Jul 26 at 2017 3:51 PM

CPT Zachary Brooks — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 15:51:59 -0400

I plan to be in better shape than I was in the Army. Less limitations on my max weight and the types of exercises I need to do. I also plan to remove the situps from my routine, and hopefully the back pain.

Response by SFC Stephen King made Jul 26 at 2017 3:59 PM

SFC Stephen King — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 15:59:09 -0400

I will

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Aug 5 at 2021 10:31 PM

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 22:31:17 -0400

Thanks for sharing