When you are in the army, you have no choice but to keep fit as your job requires it. However, you do not have supervisors ensuring you stay disciplined after being retired. So you have to take control of your health and well-being yourself. Keep in mind that being fit is not about being able to do 100 push-ups or 100 pull-ups; you don’t have to become a fitness freak to stay fit.
This article discusses ways to keep fit after retirement because knowing is half the quest. The rest is about action, which should not be challenging since you have lived life as a soldier.
Let’s get right into it.
- Meditate
Your mental health is essential to staying fit. If your mental health is compromised, you will find it hard to do anything else. Problems like depression, anxiety, or PTSD can significantly impact your ability to live your life to the fullest. You will struggle to deal with everything life throws at you.
In addition, life can get more challenging if you are struggling with a disease like mesothelioma after serving in the nacy. You are now fighting a war on two fronts: mental and physical. Remember, though, you are not alone. Do your research and seek help from mesotheliomaveterans.org to get complete information about your case.
In the meantime, you can commit to meditating daily. All it takes is five minutes per day to benefit from all the scientifically proven benefits that meditation provides. Some of those benefits are:
- Reduces stress
- Reduces high blood pressure
- Helps with pain
- Helps with Insomnia
- Enhances sleep quality
- Improves emotional well-being
- Helps with depression and anxiety
- Helps with cancer
- Helps with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Helps with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Helps with weight control and eating behavior
- Get Moving
No, we do not mean pack up and fly to Vegas. We mean to commit to getting some exercise daily. Physical health is the next order of business after you have taken care of your mental health. Research studies have proven the extensive benefits that daily exercise provides. They show that exercise prevents you from getting several severe chronic diseases like cancer, obesity, diabetes, and depression, among others. It even reduces your chances of premature death.
In addition, exercise can enhance your lifestyle, allowing you to enjoy everything life offers. Physical activity can also help reduce stress by improving your mood. According to Harvard Medical School, people who do not exercise have a smaller hippocampus, a region in the brain that regulates mood. Exercise can promote nerve cell growth and enhance nerve cell connections, which will help you feel much better.
In addition, you do not have to exhaust yourself like in your days in the armed forces. A low-intensity exercise routine that you stick to consistently can help you reap all the benefits that exercise has to offer. Some of those benefits are:
- Better quality of life
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Reduces stress
- Reduces depression
- Reduced risk of heart disease
- Reduces anxiety
- Reduced risk of diabetes and arthritis
- Strengthens your muscles and bones (joints, tendons, and ligaments)
- Reduced risk of cancer
- Nutrition
The next order of business is nutrition. All your hard work by meditating and exercising daily will go to waste if your nutrition is not up to the standard. Your nutrition is just as important as meditating and physical training. If your brain and body are not getting the nutrients they need, they will not be able to function. So create a well-balanced nutrition plan that includes protein, healthy carbs, and healthy fats to get all the necessary nutrients. In addition, do research and learn as much as possible about nutrition. Understanding nutrition will help you create an adequate nutrition plan and maintain a healthy weight.
Furthermore, create a weekly meal plan so that you do not overindulge. It is okay if you treat yourself once in a while. It only becomes a problem if you do it every day. A structured meal plan will help you avoid that because you will know precisely what you will eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Additionally, do not drink sugary drinks like sodas or artificially made juices. Hydrate with water as it will help maintain your body weight and keep excess fat off.
Lastly, a healthy nutrition plan can help you reap the following benefits:
- Live longer
- Enhanced life standard
- Prevent cognitive decline
- Support your muscles and bones
- Support your immune system
- Fewer chances of getting diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular, and cancers
- Maintain a healthy body weight
Conclusion
You dedicated your entire life to serving the American people and have done so with great courage and determination. As a result, you have earned the right to enjoy your retirement in peace without any problems. To do so, you will have to maintain your fitness which means taking care of your mental, emotional, and physical health. The tips mentioned in this article will help you take the first step. Then, you can use them to enhance your lifestyle and live your life to the fullest.
