Which is your work out?  Do you exercise your fingers over the remote control or are you pounding the pavement, lifting weights, shooting hoops, or swimming laps?  Whichever it is, I sure hope you’re out there breaking a sweat and getting exercise. 

The Navy has embraced a culture of fitness and I hope that you—Sailor, Marine, family member, civil servant, or contractor—have also embraced that culture of fitness.

Although fitness is a mandated requirement for active duty members, that doesn’t mean it isn’t vital to everyone.  I’m not a physician and I won’t quote you studies and statistics, but I won’t beat around the bush:  your health requires an active lifestyle and a lifestyle that includes fitness. 

Today’s column is going to focus on physical fitness, but I want to remind everyone that fitness is a term that encompasses financial health, mental health, family health in addition to physical health.

Like so many things, there is a definite mission component to physical fitness.  “Physical fitness is a crucial element of mission performance,” says the physical fitness report instruction.  I agree with that, and believe that it applies to all of us who work at Navy Region Northwest.  Physical fitness provides stamina to accomplish mission tasking.  Whether you work at a desk or in an industrial environment, the benefits of regular exercise pay off in alertness, job accomplishment, and fewer days lost to sickness or injury.

Regional Command Master Chief Ron Johnson points out additional benefits of regular exercise.  “You feel better,” he says.  “When you feel better, your production goes up.  As your production goes up, not only do you support the command, but also the esprit de corps bonding the team grows.”

Remember that physical fitness doesn’t consist of just exercise.  Nutrition is a vital component of your overall fitness.  Exercising regularly doesn’t accomplish much if you eat a high-cholesterol, high-calorie breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Remember, too, that exercise and nutrition aren’t just for you.  That’s the great thing; you can import an exercise and nutrition regimen into your family’s routine and include them in your activities.  The benefits are virtually limitless. 

By walking or running or even just playing together you not only build muscle and endurance, you also build family bonds and priceless memories.  Making a healthy dinner together as a family, for instance, offers a time of togetherness, development of new nutrition, and an opportunity to expand your family’s cultural horizons.

Don’t forget resources and don’t forget that you’re not alone.  Not only do we all struggle with finding the right balance of time and motivation but also so do millions of our fellow Americans.  The resources available to you are significant, though.  Your command fitness leader is a great place to start; they’ll have good information on workouts and on nutrition. 

The naval hospitals and medical clinics have nutritionists and physical fitness experts who can help you take the first steps to a new fitness regimen or improve on an already established routine.  Finally, the dedicated folks at the Region’s fitness and aquatics centers are trained and ready to make your fitness goals a reality.

Change is hard.  Changing our physical fitness culture is hard.  But it’s the right thing to do.  The short term benefits are significant; the long term advantages are even greater—for you, for your family, and for the Navy.  Take care of yourself and each other.  I’ll see you out on the road…