Adjusting to life after deployment can be a challenge. Although you may welcome being back home with your loved ones for good, it can be hard to fit back into this routine. You might find several ways to keep yourself occupied when you’re young, but as you age, things can change significantly. You can start losing much of your strength and vigor, and for a veteran, this can be pretty hard to adjust to, considering you’ve built your life around staying strong. Fitness can also change drastically for veterans because they may have developed special conditions while serving in the military or navy. Nevertheless, staying fit is vital for veterans if they wish to maintain their quality of life as they age. You might have a hard time deciding where to start, so we’ve put together a list of the best fitness tips for aging veterans.
1. Stay in touch with a doctor
One of the most useful tips for anyone aging is to stay in regular contact with a doctor. However, this becomes even more important if you have a prior history as a veteran. Being on tour can be challenging for the body and mind, and you may have had to encounter several physically harmful situations. Before you embark on any fitness regimen, it’s important to know your health condition beforehand. Apart from developing a long-term injury, you may have also developed several harmful diseases.
Mesothelioma is one of the most dangerous diseases veterans are at high risk for. This rare cancer develops only through asbestos exposure, and veterans are highly predisposed to it.
You may encounter asbestos in machinery, old buildings, and other construction or fireproofing materials. Without proper help, mesothelioma can wreak havoc upon your body. You could check out www.mesotheliomaveterans.org to get in touch with trained doctors and find other resources who can assess your situation and help you maintain your health.
2. Work with a personal trainer
As a veteran, you’ll be used to a dedicated fitness regimen tailored to suit your strengths and overcome your weaknesses. However, once you’re discharged, it can be hard to stick to such intensive routines on your own. Working with a personal trainer can be the best option if you feel like you lack discipline and motivation. Personal trainers can help you through every workout, even when you feel like giving up. With time, they can be instrumental in helping you develop a workout routine you can stick to.
Additionally, a personal trainer can be super useful when you want to create a workout routine tailored to your age. You might not be able to work out as intensively as before, and finding workout routines for the elderly might be hard. A personal trainer can assess your current fitness level, health concerns, and workout goals and collaboratively develop something that works for you.
3. Maintain a healthy diet
You’ll be surprised at how much your diet matters when you’re looking to maintain your fitness. A healthy diet isn’t just something to look into if you want to lose weight. In fact, it can be even more important as we begin aging. Without a healthy diet, you can face several health issues that can be extremely detrimental. Consuming a heavily processed, fatty diet as you age can open you up to heart issues, diabetes, a weakened immune system, obesity, tooth decay, osteoporosis, and even some cancers.
When it comes to a healthy diet, you don’t have to be extremely restrictive. Instead, it’s about largely consuming fresh, clean items which provide your body with essential nutrients and antioxidants. Your diet doesn’t have to be restricted to salads and fresh fruit alone – there are several super delicious recipes you can whip up without feeling like you’re missing out on eating good food. Of course, giving into your greasy food cravings every once in a while won’t harm you either.
4. Build your endurance
When it comes to traditional exercise, it can be all about the aesthetic aspect. You’ll find a ton of workouts instructing people on how to build abs and biceps and look buff. However, when you begin aging, that isn’t likely to be your main concern. Instead of looking ripped, you’ll want to focus on building your strength, endurance, agility, and flexibility.
So, lifting the heaviest weights in the gym might not be on your agenda, and rightfully so. Moreover, military service can be pretty hard on your body, and you may have long-term injuries which can impair you physically. Instead of going for high-intensity workouts, go for low-intensity routines. Trying out yoga and Pilates can be an excellent way to tone up and strengthen your muscles. Moreover, these routines can help you strengthen your mind-body connection, which can influence your mental and physical health.
5. Get some sleep
As a veteran, you’ll be used to staying vigilant even during odd hours of the night. It can be hard to break this habit even years later, but getting adequate sleep is vital to your health.
Sleep deprivation doesn’t mean going completely without sleep for several days. It can also be running on just a few hours of sleep consistently. As you age, this can have a devastating effect on your mental and physical health.
If you have trouble going to sleep generally, cutting down on cellphone usage, dimming the lights, and reading a book can help prepare your brain to wind down. Additionally, you can also meditate, take a warm shower and develop a routine to let you settle down. However, if you have trouble sleeping due to depression, or any trauma from your service, you might want to head to a therapist. When left unchecked, these thoughts can seriously impair your quality of life and harm you immensely.
Conclusion
As a veteran, you’ll be welcomed back home with full honors from serving your country dutifully these long years. However, adjusting to normal life can be tough after spending so many years away. Maintaining physical fitness as you age is one of the biggest ways to feel like your old self and maintain your independence. These tips can help you stay fit and healthy as you start aging.
