Military & Aging

Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Beth Holliker, 180th FW

Over the past few months I've had the opportunity to work with some airman on base in my new role as a first sergeant. This new career move has swung open the door for my communication skills along with some problem solving and behavior change modification sprinkled in. I talk to many people with various issues, concerns, and problems. With my background as a personal trainer and now a dietetic intern I get a lot more health based questions than probably your average first shirt. One common topic that has been coming up in addition to nutrition/fitness based ones is how many of these military members are struggling with their aging bodies and they express to me how youth seems to be slipping away from them. Things that once worked before for them do not now and they tell me how challenging it is to accomplish the same goals. This is something I have been cognizant of for the past few years. It's eye opening how much slower I am in my 30's than 10 years ago myself just looking at my physical fitness scoring.

The military culture is one rich in honor and pride, but also in dedication and self-control. Practicing these to the fullest extent is not just the norm it's expected and often held as a virtue. If you aren't suffering, then you aren't trying hard enough. This mentality can be dangerous and often leads to disordered eating habits, detrimental health behaviors, and excessive compulsory actions to obtain a certain level of health, wellness, fitness, etc. All in the name of "well-being" and to show dedication to one's service. In that same breath we demand an adherence from our bodies to conform to meet and exceed our limits at times. But why is it that there is no grace given to us from ourselves as a military force? This culture in the Air Force is ever present and I can't go a day without hearing disordered eating advice and negative health behaviors such as nutrition suggestions based on anecdotal experiences, skimping on sleep, consuming excessive amounts of caffeine, or ways in which to push the body to absolute extreme on the brink of injury. It's very upsetting to sit in the sea of this having full understanding of what these choices most likely will result in. Often it's injury, yo-yo dieting, eating disorders, or illness.

From my experience with this, people think they are not committed or strict enough and if they can't continue they are not doing their part as a member of the profession of arms. I remind them of the importance of longevity, killing ones body now can have serious and destructive affects later on in life that can have a huge impact on quality of life in every day living activities as they age. I often talk about the scale being a less than informative way to gauge health and how all foods should be incorporated to build a healthy diet. A variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grain, healthy fats, and lean proteins should be the foundation of your nutrition method, but processed foods, sugar, higher fat items, and alcohol can all still be apart of this. Eating isn't something that can or should be perfect, if it is you are more than likely spending an inordinate amount of time, planning, preparing, and executing your meals. It starts a guilt cycle by labeling foods "good/bad", because at some point you WILL eat these foods and then you will guilt yourself afterward, and for what? Often it is to only restrict them more and therefore create a greater desire to consume the thing you can not have. This cycle is not only not needed, but it normally sets people further from their goals.

It's vital to fuel properly before a AF physical fitness test, taking in adequate hydration and energy (FOOD) will help you prepare and achieve what you need to. Nutrition is important, but so is exercise in the Air Force, passing a test is part of our job. But pushing yourself to limits is not always the answer, especially as we age. I recommend giving yourself ample time to prepare for a fitness test, practice a few times a week under the conditions (weather) in which you will be testing, and also doing it within the parameters of that test (3 mins between components) so that your body has time to know what to expect under the given time restraints. I also recommend giving yourself time to train prior to. For example, I test during the month of January annually. Therefore, I start doing timed (1 min each) push-ups and sit-ups before my workouts (4-5 x's per week) before my workout to see where I am at and to prepare my body for the given conditions. As we age, it gets more difficult and understanding that you may not be able to just head into a test and pass without preparation. I workout several times a week for my own fitness routine and also training clients, but I STILL have to prepare, it's a simple adjustment as long as you give yourself that time and make an effort to understand your body so you are not setting it up for failure.

Aging with grace is something I have been easing into, after all it's always about the process with most things in life and this is no different. I challenge others to look beyond the diet culture bullsh*t and invest in their lives with ACTUAL health promoting behaviors that are sustainable and obtainable. Going to the extreme may feel like what is needed or expected in our military, but things that often go fast- don't go long. Take a step back and think about what health means to you and how you want to go about achieving your goals. If any of you have questions or want to learn more, feel free to reach out to me on base or via email. Thanks for reading!