We fail at fitness, over and over, because we attach our goals to things that don't mean very much. This podcast goes into changing your mindset from one of fitness for luxury to one of fitness for life.
Serving in the military can be hazardous to your health, not just because of combat or job related danger, but because of what Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen put themselves through on a daily basis. Lack of sleep, stress, constant physical wear and tear, along with a steady diet of MREs, chow hall food, and in many cases tobacco and alcohol can lead to significant health risks down the line. These include lower sex drive, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, along with increased severity of the symptoms of PTS, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and depression.
If you've been listening to this podcast, then you already know a lot of this. What I wanted to do in this episode is to speak to you about some potential solutions, so I brought in an expert. Ben Greenfield is widely known as one of the best personal trainers in the world. His New York Times bestselling book Beyond Training approaches a similar problem to what members of the military face: triathlon training. Ben has coached hundreds of triathletes and noticed a trend in the triathlon world: very fit and high performing people who were suffering from significant health problems, low sex drive, depression, and early deaths. His book highlights the reasons for this that evolve from overtraining and popular high carbohydrate and high grain diets that increase inflammation and decrease health and longevity.
In this episode we discuss these issues as they apply to those who serve in the combat arms, ways of mitigating the health risks service members phase before and after their discharge, along with some amazing tips for living a long and happy life.