New Paradigm of Military Fitness

Abstract

Fitness in the military is an unquestionable maxim. It is a vital component of combat readiness. Soldiers are required to maintain a high level of fitness in peace and wartime. Throughout the history of the Armed Forces, physical fitness has been a common concern of commanders. Thus, most of the current training program adopts a comprehensive approach toward physical fitness. Nevertheless, fitness is much more than physical fitness. Fitness is a state of being fit from a physical, environmental, nutritional, social, spiritual, psychological and financial perspective. All of these dimensions are strongly interdependent and interconnected. Any disruption of one dimension will affect other dimensions and subsequently disturbing the whole dynamic of fitness. By this definition, the fittest individuals would be those who have mental stability, emotional intelligence, physical fitness, spiritual connection, and a high level of self-awareness. In order to achieve this, the focus should be more on disease prevention rather disease management.