There are countless health benefits to exercising regularly. From simply being more physically fit and able to stress relief and the corresponding benefits it is truly a way to improve all aspects of your life. Various armed forces around the world use exercise to gain all of these benefits and to instil a sense of routine that has helped propel their soldiers to peak physical and mental fitness.
Because of this, military workout routines and military fitness classes have become popular as both a means of getting fit and staying healthy. Here are a few that you can easily do at home to get yourself in the same state.
Squats
Perhaps the most well known lower body exercise, squats strengthen your hamstrings and thighs as well as your glutes. Standing with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart lower into a squatting position, keeping your back straight and your heels and toes on the ground. Hold for a second and then straighten back up. This can be done in sets of 10-20, increasing as you can.
Push Ups
One of the most common exercises in any fitness regime. Push-ups work on the chest, triceps, shoulders and upper abdomen. It is a widely renowned exercise for increasing upper body strength and toning muscles through repetition. Placing your hands on the floor at shoulder-width apart and keeping your back and legs straight you lower yourself towards the ground then extend your arms back into the starting position.
There are many different types of push-up that you can try to mix things up a bit or to make your workout that little bit more challenging. Try switching between the ones you can do to give yourself a more rounded workout.
Running
Running doesn’t need a huge amount of introduction as an exercise as it’s ubiquitous with fitness. Almost every military fitness regime includes a large amount of running, often weighed down with gear, but just running at all is highly rewarding. A short, moderate-intensity run, for around half an hour per day, is perfect for cardio workout and helps to keep you healthy.
Running outdoors is best as you get to experience a wide range of weather conditions and changes in the landscape to keep you engaged and challenged. We recommend wearing military boots rather than trainers for this sort of outdoor running, as they are made using various technologies that help to prevent common injuries but also enhance the wearer’s comfort over long distances.
Planking
The plank is a hugely popular exercise for strengthening your abdominal muscles. It also works on your back and shoulder muscles giving it a wide variety of benefits. It involves getting into a push-up position but with your forearms on the ground instead of your hands. Lift yourself up as if you were going to do a push-up but let the weight go onto your forearms and hold there for 10 seconds. Making sure your back is straight and your legs are together.
The time you hold for should be increased as you become more capable. Alternatively, you can mix up the kind of planks you do to help prevent your workout from becoming too repetitive. Try a few different planking styles and find out which you are good at and which you might need to practice a little more.
Wall Sits
Walls sits are a bodyweight exercise that works on your glutes, calves and back muscles. As it is a bodyweight exercise it remains useful the stronger you get as you increase in muscle mass. This is one of the main reasons it is so widely used in the military as it continues to provide a good workout regardless of strength. With your back to the wall slowly lower into a squat position and hold there for between 30 and 60 seconds.
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Remaining healthy as well as becoming disciplined are core tenets of every military force and their exercise regimes show how important this is. These exercises are all ones that can be performed without any extra equipment making them perfect for you to work on at home, eventually becoming as well trained and disciplined as any member of the armed forces.