Physical fitness plays a crucial role in the abilities of members of the Armed Forces, but new training guidelines are aimed at more than just how fast a soldier can run. Earlier this month, the Army re-established the Master Fitness Trainer Course to help equip certain soldiers with the knowledge to instruct their fellow servicemembers on the best way to stay fit, according to Military Times.
While certainly not unusual to use professional physical trainers to lead fitness regimens, what makes this new initiative different is that they will be focusing on the importance of nutrition and proper amounts of sleep as well. Over the next three years, the Army hopes to train approximately 6,000 "master trainers" to help create more well-rounded, fit, members of the Armed Forces.
"I'm happy to see the course takes a holistic approach to fitness and provides information about nutrition, sleep cycles, rehabilitation and the underlying science of exercise," Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler wrote on his Facebook page.
The change is not the only switch to be made to the military's approach to physical fitness. The Army also reinstated a standard that required soldiers to meet certain standards to enter into professional military education courses, according to Stars and Stripes.