Life in the military was physically demanding and required you to keep in excellent shape. Now that you are entering life after service, it may be more difficult to stay fit. You will be busy with your transition and getting your footing in your new life, but listed below are four tips to stay in shape after service.
1. Join an intramural team
Sports are excellent for staying fit, and the team camaraderie is similar to the bond you shared with your fellow servicemembers in combat. A regulation full-court game of basketball or a 45-minute session of flag football can burn up to 500 calories.There are sports for every season, so you will never be without a game or practice to attend.
2. Pick a physical hobby
Maybe you do not enjoy sports. There are still a multitude of methods to stay fit after service. Hobbies like dancing, mountain biking, woodworking and gardening can be physically demanding. In fact, an hour of dancing can burn more than 400 calories. Choose one you enjoy and make it part of your routine a few times a week.
3. Make the world your gym
If you have entered the workforce, you may not have time for many activities. There are still plenty of ways to stay fit during your work week. On your commute, skip the escalators and elevators. Instead, opt to take the stairs every opportunity you get. This is a chance to get your heart rate up and utilize your leg muscles. If you are picking up groceries after work, leave the shopping cart behind and work you arm muscles as you carry your purchases around the store.
4. Watch what you eat
One of the reasons most veterans experience weight gain is because they are faced with more food options than they had overseas. Many of these food options are not healthy. Remember to include plenty of protein in your diet and avoid the temptation to indulge too frequently in sugary or salty snacks. Alcohol can also increase weight gain, so be conscious of this when you go out with friends.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to stay fit during your life after service. You worked hard to reach your level of peak physical fitness during combat. By following the suggestions above and committing to a healthy lifestyle, you can maintain that level in your civilian life.
Reintegration is the most difficult part of life after service for many veterans. Troubles with finances, employment and mental health can hinder their transition. However, a transit company in Riverside, California, is launching a program that will help veterans improve their lives after the military. 211 Vet, a program made possible by grants from The Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department of Education, is a website dedicated to helping veterans find transportation that will help them overcome the aforementioned troubles.
The site is a trip planner designed to assist veterans with finding local bus routes and creating travel itineraries to take them to services geared toward helping veterans transition to civilian life. Many of these services include job training, counseling sessions and housing assistance. 211 Vet also has an option for disabled veterans to request curb-to-curb and driver assistance. The creators of the program hope that by making transportation simple, veterans will use the service to seek out the help they may need. They stated that veterans tend to avoid assistance, so by making the process of seeking help a little easier, they are hoping more veterans will find the services they need. 211 Vet's official launch is scheduled for October or November 2015.
Memphis native Melvin McCoy, the first person on record to walk across Death Valley in the summertime without vehicle assistance, is on the road again. To raise money and awareness for veterans issues such as homelessness and struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, McCoy and his dog, Maxwell, are walking from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Washington, D.C. The journey will take the pair over 500 miles along stretches of highway where the heat index can get over 100. McCoy is being sponsored by Alpha Omega, a veterans services organization based in Memphis.
McCoy and Maxwell started their walk on July 3 and average about 10 miles a day. They still have about one month left before they reach the final destination. Along the way, McCoy is talking with veterans to get their perspective.
"I'm having a lot of conversations with veterans as I make this crossing and I'm getting a lot of input and what their concerns are so we'll certainly have some measure of statement. We're not political. We just want people to be aware and be supportive," McCoy told WJHL News.
You can follow McCoy and Maxwell's daily progress on Twitter by following @melvinthemule.
The sacrifices made by the men and women who serve our country are innumerable. When they transition from combat, these veterans can sometimes struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder and feelings of anxiety or depression. However, there are many programs in place to help veterans with any issues that may arise in their life after service. Listed below are six major programs and organizations with the mission to help veterans.
1. Pets for Vets
Animal trainer Clarissa Black founded this program as a way to rescue shelter animals and give back to the country's heroes. Pet for Vets rescues dogs from shelters across the country and trains them to be companion and therapy animals. Veterans who apply for a pet are interviewed to determine which dog would align with their needs. Once the dogs are paired with their vet, they are trained to accommodate that veteran's specific needs. This could mean training the dog to get used to wheelchairs or handling behaviors associated with PTSD. Pets for Vets is committed to saving shelter animals that will potentially save a veteran.
2. Warrior Songs, Inc.
This nonprofit organization uses the creative arts as a way for veterans to heal. Warrior Songs, Inc. offers programs like singing, painting and pottery through which veterans can express any emotions they may have about their service that they cannot express verbally. In this program, veterans are offered the chance to attend a four-day retreat where they can share their experiences with other veterans through art. The organization also hosts the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival every year in order to promote art as a method of healing for veterans.
3. Heroes and Horses
In this program, veterans can participate in a free month-long retreat at a horse ranch in Three Forks, Montana. During the retreat, veterans are taught horse riding skills and given the opportunity to bond with the animals. Heroes and Horses' main goal is to teach self-efficacy to the veterans in a way that also promotes healing. They do this through their three-stage process, which includes stress inoculation, application and integration.
4. Warrior Hike
For physically driven veterans, Warrior Hike provides a chance to heal through hiking. The program supports veterans who want to hike America's National Scenic Trails as a way to make peace with their combat experiences. Warrior Hike provides these veterans with the supplies and equipment necessary to complete treks like the 2,185-mile-long Appalachian Trail. The program also coordinates with veterans along the trails to provide lodging and support for the hikers.
5. Project Healing Waters
Founded in 2005, this nationwide program teaches veterans how to fly fish. The close proximity to nature helps veterans heal mentally and emotionally. Additionally, Project Healing Waters hosts fly fishing competitions to promote friendly competition between veterans and teach them about setting goals.
6. Boots to Business
In partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Boots to Business is geared toward business-oriented veterans. It is a three-step program that teaches entrepreneurial practices and tactics to veterans with small business ambitions. The SBA offers two courses in the Boots to Business program. Introduction to Entrepreneurship is a three-day classroom program where veterans learn the basics of entrepreneurship, create business goals and share successes. Foundations of Entrepreneurship is an eight-week online program where veterans create business plans and learn the techniques for opening their own businesses.
Though veterans face many challenges upon their return from duty, there are many programs available to assist them. Life after service does not have to be a daunting prospect. The six organizations listed above are just a few of many designed to help veterans get the most out of civilian life.
Upon their return from service, many veterans experience feelings of isolation and alienation. These feelings make it difficult for former servicemembers to adjust to life after service. Heroes and Horses is committed to changing that. The program invites veterans from across the country to a remote horse ranch in the Montana wilderness where they will complete a month-long, three-step healing process. The program costs nothing for the veterans, and they will participate in activities like horsemanship training, a horseback camping trip across the Beartooth Mountains and working with a wilderness outfitter.
A certified riding instructor with the program stated that the horses help veterans see how their behaviors can affect their environments. The animals provide a bond that is free of judgment or expectation.
Local VA recreational therapist Marian Skomsky told The Times Tribune, "There's a lot the veterans can learn from the horses — self-awareness, pride, self-confidence — as they master and develop a relationship with the horses."
Heroes and Horses removes the veterans from the comfort of their family and friends to teach self-efficacy and work force skills. To participate in the program, veterans can fill out an application or be referred by the American Legion or VA.
Serving in the military can be a rewarding adventure, but it is not without its difficulties. Transitioning to life after service is one of these. Many veterans struggle with adjusting to the different structure of civilian life and connecting with people who have vastly different life experiences than they do. Consider the following tips to help with the potentially daunting transition from military life.
1. Find a hobby
This is an activity you can control. Whether you choose fishing, knitting, cooking or collecting stamps, you decide when you want to engage in the activity and how you approach it. A hobby gives you a relaxing escape from the stresses of your transition period and helps you fill the free time you may not be accustomed to.
2. Start an exercise routine
A common complaint from veterans struggling to adjust to civilian life is that they miss the adrenaline rush and physical challenges of combat. One way to prevent yourself from experiencing this feeling is to create an exercise routine. Search around locally and join an intramural team. This is good for fulfilling your athletic needs as well as establishing a camaraderie similar to the one you shared in combat. Hiking and swimming are also great sports to take up for the physical challenge, and programs like Warrior Hike are great for assisting veterans in the transition to civilian life.
3. Make a list of goals
You are coming from an extremely organized and regimented lifestyle. It is OK to bring some of your military habits with you into your new life. Create a plan for yourself. It does not matter if it is just a year-long plan or a five-year plan. Just set goals for what you want from a career and a family and establish checkpoints to help yourself meet them.
4. Avoid developing unhealthy habits
Many veterans turn to vices to help them cope with trauma or stress they may have experienced. This only makes the transition to civilian life more difficult. Limit your use of cigarettes and alcohol, and do not get involved with illegal substances. Staying out late frequently is another detrimental practice, and the lack of sleep will only add to your stress. If you choose to use alcohol or tobacco, do so moderately, and try to get a good night's sleep often.
5. Reach out to other veterans
It is important to remember that you are not alone in your challenges. There are others going through similar struggles, and you may be able to help one another. Connect with other veterans at your local Vet Center. Here you will find people who will listen to and understand your difficulties and help you celebrate your triumphs. Additionally, VA Hospitals have professionals trained to understand the stresses veterans may experience and help them work through them.
Transitioning to civilian life after service can be a challenge. It can also be a rewarding experience filled with new opportunities and adventures. You are starting a new chapter in your life. It should be a time of excitement, not stress. Keep the above suggestions in mind to help you through this process.
Wisconsin Army veterans Natalie Koffarnus and Jenni Heisz have found a new way to inspire hope in combat veterans during their life after service. Heisz, who served in Kuwait and Afghanistan, and Koffarnus, who served in Kuwait and Iraq, use hiking as a means to stay fit both physically and mentally. The women stated that returning to nature was part of their healing process. It relaxed them and helped them transition back into civilian life.
"I find it kind of hard to be mad when you're out in nature, and the birds are singing, and the wind is blowing through the leaves. It really is calming and relaxing to me," Koffarnus told AOL.
The women are hiking the Ice Age Trail, a 1,100-mile trek across the state of Wisconsin, in partnership with the Warrior Hike program. This program sponsors returned combat veterans who wish to hike the National Scenic Trails as a way to transition from military life. As the ladies make their way across the trail, fellow veterans are providing food and lodging for the pair. Heisz and Koffarnus believe their journey will help them reconnect with nature and move past the traumas they experienced in their military service.
Deep in a heavily wooded section of Bullitt County, Kentucky, there is a 144-acre stretch of land that is about to make one veteran's dying wish come true. Retired Army Maj. Justin Fitch was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in 2013. When it was upgraded to stage 4 a year later, Fitch's doctors gave him only two to six months to live. Today, Fitch has outlived that prediction by over a year. Though he is very ill, Fitch is currently fighting to see those woods turned into the Active Heroes Retreat Center, a recovery destination for veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.
According to the PTSD Foundation of America, 1 in 3 returning servicemembers are diagnosed with PTSD. Fitch and the veterans who are helping him with his project wanted to create a space where their fellow combat veterans could come and recover. The idea was to build a retreat where ex-military members could develop a healthy outlook on life after service. However, Fitch and the other project leaders were worried that they would struggle to raise the $50,000 they needed to build just one cabin. With the help of sponsors and the project's GoFundMe campaign, Fitch and the others raised enough money to build two cabins.
The total expected cost to complete the retreat is about $4 million, but that does not intimidate Fitch. He is going to keep fighting to see his dream become a reality.
Many veterans struggle with what to do in life after service. Syracuse University, along with dozens of other universities across the country, is offering them a chance to find direction. In their week-long program called the Warrior Scholar Project, educators from the New York-based university hope to encourage veterans to pursue higher education. During the university's summer and winter breaks, veterans are invited to attend free courses and seminars designed to help them transition from military life and gear them up for college.
"We're trying to fill in that gap and provide our veterans with the skills that they need and the confidence they need to go forth and attend a top tier school," Sidney Ellington, an executive director for the Warrior Scholar Project, told CNY Central.
Many veterans are used to memorizing orders and acting upon command. Part of the Warrior Scholar Project is to teach them to think critically and analyze information. However, the project's website stated that the three main objectives are to help veterans transition from service to higher education, increase the graduation rates of veterans and train student-veterans to be leaders in the classroom.
Residents of Omaha, Nebraska, were treated to a special show on Friday afternoon when the Wings of Freedom Tour made a stop at Eppley Airfield to honor World War II veterans. The tour's purpose is to honor the soldiers that flew the aircraft and the other personnel who built and maintained the planes. In the 23 years that the tour has been in operation, it has visited nearly 3,000 airports across the country.
This year, the Wings of Freedom showcased refurbished WWII planes like the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator and the P-51 Mustang. These three models are some of the only planes of their kind still flying. Veterans of WWII were granted free admission to explore the planes and remember their time in the military.
"As a way to get the stories to come to life, we bring these airplanes in for the families and for the veterans to tell what they did during the war and to pass it along to future generations, "Brian Keough, a flight coordinator for the tour, told KETV,
Visitors to the Wings of Freedom tour are encouraged to explore the aircrafts, and if they can, participate in the flight experience. The Collings Foundation, the non-profit organization behind the tour, hopes that this will honor and preserve the legacy of WWII veterans.