Cardiorespiratory fitness

So the conditioning they need is different, because the things that'll affect their health are going to be different.

But for those special operators, particularly in the tier one in the military, my concern would be just that general Cardiorespiratory health, the heart health itself, and blast exposure.

Vestibular issues in particular, 'cause several of the operators I know have all got vestibular issues.

So as soon as they move their head too quickly, they start to get that postural sway and, and they lose a second of balance, and then they've gotta correct.

And there are things you've probably heard on the internet, on social media, that are patently untrue.

Cardiorespiratory fitness, which is your body's ability to deliver oxygen to your muscles and keep going, is one of the strongest predictors that we have of long-term health and survival.

And one of the most reliable ways to maintain cardiorespiratory fitness is to be consistent with intentional movement.

Exercise also preserves muscle mass, and of course strength, endurance, and even power.

These are qualities that naturally decline with age, especially over the age of 40, unless we actively counteract them.

Start where you are, progress gradually, stay consistent.

Your body will reward you.

So now let's talk about cardiorespiratory fitness, the strongest predictor of longevity.

A major Cleveland Clinic study followed over 122,000 people who underwent treadmill testing.

Participants were categorized by cardiorespiratory fitness.

So compared with the elite fitness group, the low fitness group had about five times the adjusted risk of all-cause mortality.

So here's the really remarkable comparison.

If I told you smoking increased your mortality risk, nobody would be surprised.

If I told you diabetes increased your mortality, nobody would be surprised.

But how often does your doctor talk to you about your cardiorespiratory fitness as a vital sign? You know, I mentioned what kind of muscle or weightlifting did for me as far as confidence, but muscle is so much more than appearance.

So when you hear the word muscle, what do you think about? Bodybuilders, looking good at the beach, athletic performance, and those are all good things, but muscle does far more than move your is metabolically active tissue.