Independently Fit Like a Soldier

A nation – is not what it is without the struggles, hustle, and goodwill of the citizens. Being from India, there is one thing that makes us proud – our hustle to get back what was rightfully ours; our nation. India is a democratic, secular, and socio-developing country and is one of the ‘golden reserves’ of the world. But during the British reign of rule – the country was exploited to its core. The struggle for Freedom of India was one of the most prominent freedom struggles of all time. This month on the 15th of August, we celebrate the 76th year of India's independence. Keeping the struggles of our freedom fighters in mind, let’s dedicate this month to our soldiers who fight daily for the safety and prosperity of the nation. Follow this fitness regime to train yourself like a soldier!

Running

If you do want to go into the Army and train like a soldier – you have to run and that too run all the time. Consider running at the only parameter that you’ll be selected in the force. A soldier is never at rest – mobility is the prime source of fitness that they have with them.

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It is one of the only exercises which makes use of many muscles at the same time; also known as a compound exercise. A soldier runs or jogs somewhere between 15-20 km per day when he/she is training for the Army. Running has so many benefits associated with it – be it stronger bones, better heartbeat, or strengthened muscles.

India being a democratic, secular, and socio-developing country is one of the ‘golden reserves’ of the world.

You should run for a good 2-3 Km in a day if possible, and walk for 1-2 Kms. This will ensure that your health is at its prime. Not only healthy organs, but it also makes sure that your weight is also being balanced perfectly.

Swimming

You might be wondering why is swimming on the list – but when it comes to survival fitness; Swimming is one of the most effective exercises there is which again activates most of your major muscles but focuses on a stable core.

Swimming includes not just being in the water but moving your muscles in various variations to achieve utmost physical saturation. Some of the benefits that this compound exercise include improving your balance, flexibility, and posture.

Not only for the muscles, but as a survival exercise, everyone should be aware of how to swim. It is a form that if practised daily can minimise your accumulated fat and also act as a stress buster sometimes.

Army Crawl Plank

When it comes to stability and standing at a similar position for an extended prolonged period, there is only one thing that you might need – a strong core. If your core is stable and strong, you can easily be stationary and mobile as per the requirement.

Planks are the hot-sot solution for all your core problems. When in a plank position, your arms and legs twitch for better grip but your core strengthens like nothing else. The core muscles contract and as you hold the position, a tendency holds within.

Keeping the struggles of our freedom fighters in mind, let’s dedicate this month to our soldiers who fight daily for the safety and prosperity of the nation.

For Army Crawl Planks, bend straight and come into a planking position first. After forming coming into this position, you have to move your left elbow in front – retract. Now move your right elbow and retract. Do this until you feel your muscles gasping for grip and be strong.

Rucking

While running is one of the best high-intensity army workouts – rucking on the other hand is a low-intensity training exercise which makes the way for your stamina and strength. Again, it is a form of running only but targets what running can’t.

What exactly is rucking? When you have some weight on your shoulders – be it in a bag or an attached accessory, and you are not exactly running but very swiftly jogging, that is known as rucking. You can adjust the weight according to your capacity.

It targets your shoulder, legs, back, and core. Due to the added weights, it becomes a resistance exercise and can help you burn those excessive calories. It is also a very good strength-inducing exercise.

Pull Ups/ Chin Ups

Now comes the exercise that holds an important value in survival fitness because without this exercise on board you literally can’t ‘Hold’ anything. Pull-ups are the vital element that you need for a fierce and strong grip with adequate arm strength.

At times there are very heavy weights of load that you have to carry. Where will the power come from? Your arms are the answer. Stronger forearms need strong engagement - pull ups allow you to carry your weight against the way that requires an immense amount of force.

From the August 2022 issue of FHM India.