US fitness guru urges yoga for fat soldiers
Page 1 of 1 • Share
US fitness guru urges yoga for fat soldiers
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
WASHINGTON: Asked by the US military for tips to help combat the growing problem of obesity in the ranks, a popular television fitness guru came up with an unusual answer: mind-soothing and body-bending yoga.
"I know inclusion of yoga in military training sounds a tad alien," Tony Horton, 52, acknowledged as he presented his techniques to a group of 200 people, many clad in gymwear, at the National Press Club in Washington.
"The days of push ups, sit ups and long runs in the military are over," said Horton, whose functional fitness concept combines equipment-free, body weight-based exercises with push-ups, sit-ups and yoga postures.
"Yoga magnifies the positive effects of strength and cardiovascular exercises," he said. "It's lubricating all the major joints and reduces the potential for injury."
The fitness trainer best known for his trendy "P90X" workout regime has trained celebrities like Usher, Bruce Springsteen and Sean Connery, as well as soldiers at military bases, including Andrews Air Force Base and Fort Bragg.
As Horton demonstrated, men and women of all sizes struck yoga poses, arms and feet outstretched.
"Obesity is a national security issue," Horton said, repeating a warning issued earlier this year by two senior retired generals, John Shalikashvili and Hugh Shelton, both former chairs of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"People are too fat to fight," the fitness trainer added.
Pentagon studies say the military's obesity rate has nearly doubled since 2003. According to Horton, the military saw its obesity rate nearly triple from 1995 to 2008 alone, while the overall number of obese troops has grown from 1.6 percent in 1998 to 4.4 percent in 2008.
In the United States as a whole, more than two thirds of states now have an adult obesity rate above 25 percent, Horton said. In contrast, not a single state had a rate above 20 percent in 1991.
The US military also faces a problem with troops already serving who are overweight, Horton said.
"The failure to meet fitness standards has meant each year thousands have had to deal with canceled promotions, loss of education opportunities," he added.
"The statistics are profoundly disturbing."
WASHINGTON: Asked by the US military for tips to help combat the growing problem of obesity in the ranks, a popular television fitness guru came up with an unusual answer: mind-soothing and body-bending yoga.
"I know inclusion of yoga in military training sounds a tad alien," Tony Horton, 52, acknowledged as he presented his techniques to a group of 200 people, many clad in gymwear, at the National Press Club in Washington.
"The days of push ups, sit ups and long runs in the military are over," said Horton, whose functional fitness concept combines equipment-free, body weight-based exercises with push-ups, sit-ups and yoga postures.
"Yoga magnifies the positive effects of strength and cardiovascular exercises," he said. "It's lubricating all the major joints and reduces the potential for injury."
The fitness trainer best known for his trendy "P90X" workout regime has trained celebrities like Usher, Bruce Springsteen and Sean Connery, as well as soldiers at military bases, including Andrews Air Force Base and Fort Bragg.
As Horton demonstrated, men and women of all sizes struck yoga poses, arms and feet outstretched.
"Obesity is a national security issue," Horton said, repeating a warning issued earlier this year by two senior retired generals, John Shalikashvili and Hugh Shelton, both former chairs of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"People are too fat to fight," the fitness trainer added.
Pentagon studies say the military's obesity rate has nearly doubled since 2003. According to Horton, the military saw its obesity rate nearly triple from 1995 to 2008 alone, while the overall number of obese troops has grown from 1.6 percent in 1998 to 4.4 percent in 2008.
In the United States as a whole, more than two thirds of states now have an adult obesity rate above 25 percent, Horton said. In contrast, not a single state had a rate above 20 percent in 1991.
The US military also faces a problem with troops already serving who are overweight, Horton said.
"The failure to meet fitness standards has meant each year thousands have had to deal with canceled promotions, loss of education opportunities," he added.
"The statistics are profoundly disturbing."
Zeba Khan Hoti- Monstars
- Posts : 773
Join date : 2011-02-24
Similar topics
» Beckham advocates for health and fitness in video games
» Ritual FIT: 30-Minute Fitness
» Yoga for a transcendent experience
» Nothing beats yoga in managing mood
» Can yoga help prevent heart disease
» Ritual FIT: 30-Minute Fitness
» Yoga for a transcendent experience
» Nothing beats yoga in managing mood
» Can yoga help prevent heart disease
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
|
|
Sat Mar 23, 2024 1:08 pm by ali001
» MindCat: Mindfulness, Meditate
Tue Mar 19, 2024 7:35 am by ali001
» Jordan 1 1 ST Firstcopy Shoes
Sat Mar 09, 2024 6:08 pm by ali001
» Frienzy: Travel with Friends
Fri Mar 08, 2024 7:18 pm by ali001
» Frienzy: Travel with Friends
Fri Mar 08, 2024 7:02 pm by ali001
» DUO Decisions: Choose at random
Fri Mar 08, 2024 11:29 am by ali001
» Yodel Community Connections
Wed Feb 28, 2024 12:56 pm by ali001
» Yodel Community Connections
Wed Feb 28, 2024 12:55 pm by ali001
» Live Timeless - Habit Tracker App
Sat Feb 10, 2024 8:33 pm by ali001