thedrifter
02-10-07, 08:26 AM
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.(Feb. 9, 2007) -- The Marine Corps is the United States' amphibious force-in-readiness. The "First to Fight" are designed to be expeditionary and ready to act whenever the need arises.
Each unit ensures its Marines are trained and prepared to deploy at a moment's notice; however, there are aspects of deployment readiness that are the responsibility of the individual Marine.
Marines can prepare themselves for combat daily by staying healthy. Four factors that play a large role in the health of an individual are: physical fitness, nutrition, sleeping habits and stress.
The physical fitness level of military members has to be beyond healthy because they are required to be conditioned for the challenges presented by their mission. The demanding tasks that Marines are required to do can only be done by someone who is physically capable.
There are three aspects of physical fitness that service members must consistently condition:
cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and flexibility, said Nicole M. Ayan, the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Health Promotion Coordinator.
Running is the primary cardiovascular training for Marines and Sailors. Service members can benefit from some cross-training because varying exercise intensities and activities decreases the risk of injury and overtraining. Swimming, cycling, elliptical training, and sports are examples of activities that raise the heartŐs rate and can be included in a cross-training schedule.
"Because Marines and Sailors are tested on running, most of their cardiovascular training should consist of running in order to improve their test scores," said Ayan.
Ayan explained that training intensity can be varied, for example, by running at a slower pace for a longer period of time for one workout and running sprints for another.
She recommended that combat-ready Marines and Sailors be active most days of the week and do some form of cardiovascular training for at least 30 minutes for a minimum of three to five days per week.
Along with cardiovascular fitness, muscle strengthening is important training to keep Marines physically at their best.
It's vital for Marines to perform at least one exercise for each muscle group to maintain strength and tone. Lifting heavier weights for fewer repetitions will build muscle and more repetitions with lighter weights will tone. Lifting too fast and not using proper form are common ways in which individuals suffer injuries, added Ayan, a 33-year-old from San Diego.
"You should train for what you have to lift. If you need to hump with a 50 pound pack, then you should do some training that simulates that activity," she said, adding "in fact, Headquarters Marine Corps has asked Semper Fit to focus on this topic and offer more functional training opportunities."
This type of weight training is called "functional training."
"Physical fitness training should consist of cardiovascular workouts and functional training for that person's job [both] accompanied by some flexibility," Ayan explained. "Flexibility is often something we forget, especially when we look at our active-duty population."
Stretching before physical training and stretching after are very different from each other. Stretching after exercise, when the muscles are warm, is the ideal time to stretch for flexibility.
Doing heavy lifting shortens muscles. It is important to stretch them to maintain full range-of-motion.
A service member's physical fitness level is heavily dependent upon what he or she eats. Whether over, within, or under their weight regulations, what a Marine or Sailor eats consistently effects their daily performance.
"A diet high in fatty foods, such as fast food, makes people feel sluggish," said Tammy L. Impellitteri, a dietitian in the Nutrition Management Department at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. "What frequently happens is that healthy foods get replaced with unhealthy ones. That's not what your body wants."
Whether Marine or civilian, all people need the same nutrients: carbohydrates, protein, fat, water, vitamins and minerals. Service members require some nutrients, especially carbohydrates and water, in greater amounts to fuel their performance demands.
In general, the vitamins in fruits and vegetables help prevent many diseases and cancers and reinforce the immune system. Proteins found in meat build muscle. Carbohydrates found in grains are the body's preferred source of energy. Calcium found in diary products builds and maintains bone mass.
By choosing to eat foods from all groups of the food pyramid, Marines can ingest these nutrients that they need to be fit for combat.
Service members can take multivitamins or nutrient supplements to help make certain they are consuming the nutrients their bodies need, but there is no way to determine how much of the supplement a person's body actually absorbs, Impellitteri explained.
"Our bodies prefer the natural form of nutrients," she said.
Impellitteri added that there are no miracle pills or supplements to gaining or losing weight or building muscle. Exercise and calorie intake control a person's weight. "Eating additional protein doesn't make you gain muscle," she said. Ingesting more protein than you need is extra calories, the dietitian added.
Lifting weights to work muscles creates bigger muscles.
Preferably, it's better to eat four to six times a day (three meals and a few snacks), which keeps a person's metabolism working steadily.
"Your physical fitness level is only a part of your overall fitness," Ayan said. "Nutrition, someone's sleeping pattern, whether they smoke or dip, excessive alcohol intake, even stress levels, all effect overall health."
According to several studies, said Impellitteri, poor sleeping patterns have been shown to slow a person's concentration. Generally, seven or eight hours of continuous sleep per night is adequate.
Stress has health consequences as well. It's contrary to combat readiness if an over-worried or mentally-burdened Marine's mind is consistently on other matters that distract the Marine from his or her mission.
For more information visit mccscp.com.
Ellie
Each unit ensures its Marines are trained and prepared to deploy at a moment's notice; however, there are aspects of deployment readiness that are the responsibility of the individual Marine.
Marines can prepare themselves for combat daily by staying healthy. Four factors that play a large role in the health of an individual are: physical fitness, nutrition, sleeping habits and stress.
The physical fitness level of military members has to be beyond healthy because they are required to be conditioned for the challenges presented by their mission. The demanding tasks that Marines are required to do can only be done by someone who is physically capable.
There are three aspects of physical fitness that service members must consistently condition:
cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and flexibility, said Nicole M. Ayan, the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Health Promotion Coordinator.
Running is the primary cardiovascular training for Marines and Sailors. Service members can benefit from some cross-training because varying exercise intensities and activities decreases the risk of injury and overtraining. Swimming, cycling, elliptical training, and sports are examples of activities that raise the heartŐs rate and can be included in a cross-training schedule.
"Because Marines and Sailors are tested on running, most of their cardiovascular training should consist of running in order to improve their test scores," said Ayan.
Ayan explained that training intensity can be varied, for example, by running at a slower pace for a longer period of time for one workout and running sprints for another.
She recommended that combat-ready Marines and Sailors be active most days of the week and do some form of cardiovascular training for at least 30 minutes for a minimum of three to five days per week.
Along with cardiovascular fitness, muscle strengthening is important training to keep Marines physically at their best.
It's vital for Marines to perform at least one exercise for each muscle group to maintain strength and tone. Lifting heavier weights for fewer repetitions will build muscle and more repetitions with lighter weights will tone. Lifting too fast and not using proper form are common ways in which individuals suffer injuries, added Ayan, a 33-year-old from San Diego.
"You should train for what you have to lift. If you need to hump with a 50 pound pack, then you should do some training that simulates that activity," she said, adding "in fact, Headquarters Marine Corps has asked Semper Fit to focus on this topic and offer more functional training opportunities."
This type of weight training is called "functional training."
"Physical fitness training should consist of cardiovascular workouts and functional training for that person's job [both] accompanied by some flexibility," Ayan explained. "Flexibility is often something we forget, especially when we look at our active-duty population."
Stretching before physical training and stretching after are very different from each other. Stretching after exercise, when the muscles are warm, is the ideal time to stretch for flexibility.
Doing heavy lifting shortens muscles. It is important to stretch them to maintain full range-of-motion.
A service member's physical fitness level is heavily dependent upon what he or she eats. Whether over, within, or under their weight regulations, what a Marine or Sailor eats consistently effects their daily performance.
"A diet high in fatty foods, such as fast food, makes people feel sluggish," said Tammy L. Impellitteri, a dietitian in the Nutrition Management Department at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. "What frequently happens is that healthy foods get replaced with unhealthy ones. That's not what your body wants."
Whether Marine or civilian, all people need the same nutrients: carbohydrates, protein, fat, water, vitamins and minerals. Service members require some nutrients, especially carbohydrates and water, in greater amounts to fuel their performance demands.
In general, the vitamins in fruits and vegetables help prevent many diseases and cancers and reinforce the immune system. Proteins found in meat build muscle. Carbohydrates found in grains are the body's preferred source of energy. Calcium found in diary products builds and maintains bone mass.
By choosing to eat foods from all groups of the food pyramid, Marines can ingest these nutrients that they need to be fit for combat.
Service members can take multivitamins or nutrient supplements to help make certain they are consuming the nutrients their bodies need, but there is no way to determine how much of the supplement a person's body actually absorbs, Impellitteri explained.
"Our bodies prefer the natural form of nutrients," she said.
Impellitteri added that there are no miracle pills or supplements to gaining or losing weight or building muscle. Exercise and calorie intake control a person's weight. "Eating additional protein doesn't make you gain muscle," she said. Ingesting more protein than you need is extra calories, the dietitian added.
Lifting weights to work muscles creates bigger muscles.
Preferably, it's better to eat four to six times a day (three meals and a few snacks), which keeps a person's metabolism working steadily.
"Your physical fitness level is only a part of your overall fitness," Ayan said. "Nutrition, someone's sleeping pattern, whether they smoke or dip, excessive alcohol intake, even stress levels, all effect overall health."
According to several studies, said Impellitteri, poor sleeping patterns have been shown to slow a person's concentration. Generally, seven or eight hours of continuous sleep per night is adequate.
Stress has health consequences as well. It's contrary to combat readiness if an over-worried or mentally-burdened Marine's mind is consistently on other matters that distract the Marine from his or her mission.
For more information visit mccscp.com.
Ellie