By: Sarah Steward, MS* Solid relationships are important for Warfighter performance. The fact is that having close and meaningful connections reduces stress and increases your ability to cope and overcome challenges. People who feel connected to others sleep better, tend to heal faster, and live longer. Meanwhile, loneliness is a source of stress and linked to depression, increases in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and reduced physical and cognitive performance at work. Just like your body, you need to work to get your “social fitness” on track. And just like your muscles, y ..read more

Keeping your body properly hydrated and fueled prepares you for the challenges of training, missions, and everyday performance. There are many factors that can affect your individual hydration needs. Some factors are how much you sweat, the type and duration of your exercise or workouts, your environment, and the equipment you wear. Your goal is to try and replace the fluid you lose by sweating during an activity to maintain hydration levels. To do  this, sip on a good-quality sports drink while you workout, exercise, or (if able!) during PT.  Drink 16–32 oz of fluid every 60 min ..read more

By: Bailey Oliver Blackburn, PhD What if I told you that you (yes, you!) have the potential to help those around you be more resilient simply by communicating with them? Sounds like a far-fetched idea, but as a communication scholar and resilience researcher, I’ve learned that resilience doesn’t require extraordinary practices or even heroic actions. In fact, resilience is often communicated through our words and how we connect with others. To better understand how we can help others and benefit our own resilience, we need to understand what resilience truly means. Resilience is our ..read more

By Brandon Lee, MS, RD, CCRP Energy availability (EA) is a crucial aspect of nutrition that often gets overlooked. It represents the amount of energy (calories) left to support normal bodily functions after exercise or physical training. Athletes who don’t consume enough calories to support their activity levels and their normal body functions can end up hurting their health and athletic performance. This state is known as low energy availability (LEA). Historically, LEA was considered a problem only women had, yet growing evidence shows it can be just as harmful to men’s health and perfo ..read more

By Sarah Knowlton, BS, CPT, SNS As a health educator dedicated to supporting military personnel, one of my primary roles is to help Service Members improve their physical fitness, nutrition, sleep, and stress levels. As someone who operates on a Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) base, many of these conversations gravitate toward the topic of maintaining optimal health, particularly for drill sergeants who want to push their troops “on the trail.” Throughout these conversations, in addition to acknowledging the obstacles, I actively look for insights into their successes and triumphs ..read more

By: Leanne K. Knobloch, PhD Homecoming after deployment can be a day of excitement, relief, and joy for Service Members and their loved ones reunited after their time apart. But what happens next? After the “Welcome home” banner comes down, the confetti is swept up, and the gear is stowed away, how do military family members build a “new normal” after all the changes that happened during deployment? My team and I conducted a study of Service Members and their spouses about 3 months after the Service Members had returned from deployment. We asked them to answer the question, “What advice w ..read more

Time and again throughout my career, I’ve been told to make sure I prioritize my work-life balance. The odd thing is, over a 21-year military career, no one shared how to do that or gave us the option. At least, that was my experience. If I’m starting a week with a perfectly balanced life (eight hours at work, eight hours at home, and a full eight hours of sleep at night), but more is suddenly required at work, what do I do? Do I tell my commander, “Sorry, but I can’t. I have to maintain a work-life balance?” That clearly isn’t an option. If I now have to work 10-hour days, do I spend 10 h ..read more

By: Jeffrey B. Jackson, PhD, LMFT Service Members and their spouses face challenges their civilian counterparts often do not, such as moving frequently and spending long periods of time apart. These challenges can be worse when gender roles are reversed and Servicewomen are married to civilian men. Civilian husbands of Servicewomen often need to navigate a variety of unique challenges because of this gender role reversal and related pressures. For example, take the experience of a U.S. Coast Guard Servicewoman's civilian husband in his thirties. When they were first married, he had trouble ..read more

By: Maria McConville, MS, RDN* I had the privilege of interviewing a new teammate of the Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) family, Brandon Lee. Brandon is a civilian H2F Registered Dietitian (RD) in 2BCT, Fort Drum, NY, with a fascinating professional background. In addition to being a dietitian, he also has a unique interest in the field of growth mindset. Maria: How did you become interested in nutrition and its intersection with a growth mindset? Brandon: I was interested in biology, health science, and wellness from a young age. Before discovering my passion for nutrition, I was an ..read more

By: Dakota Gillmore, PhD If the warmer weather has you itching to get out of the house, consider that some activities you might choose to get involved in are more helpful and healthful than others. Volunteering, for example, is a free and rewarding way to extend a helping hand to those who need support. Fortunately, many of these activities are good for you! They provide opportunities to be physically active, have fun, and interact with friends, family, and others in your community.   Why volunteer? Volunteering provides vital help to people in need, worthwhile causes, and your commun ..read more