For decades the skilled aviators of the Navy’s Blue Angels team have thrilled us with their displays of precision flying. Fleet Week 2007 will be no exception.
 
Flying without g-suits as they perform their highly aerobatic and often high-g-force maneuvers, they frequently find themselves in formations that place wingtips only 18 inches from cockpits: an instant’s inattention or weakness can spell disaster, and pilots have been lost.
 
Still, this is considered by Naval Aviators to be one of the most prestigious jobs available, and the competition for positions on the team is fierce.
 
So, what does it take to earn a spot, and then to keep it? Intelligence, dedication, personality, all these qualities certainly must be present. But what about the physical attributes of a Blue Angels aviator? Is this person some sort of superman or woman, possessed of Olympian strength and conditioning?
 
Nope.
 
These are men and women just like you and I – they put their pants on one leg at a time and maintain the strength and conditioning that they need for their duties by being committed to a simple daily fitness routine.
 
You can adopt a similar routine – it need not cost you more than a few minutes each day, and there is no expensive gym membership needed. You have all the necessary equipment with you at all times – your body.
 
A few minutes of exercise each day is all that is needed to maintain good health: some basic stretching, a few sit-ups – say, as many as you can do in one minute, a few push-ups (again, just a minute’s worth), perhaps a few chin-ups or pull-ups (even one, just to start), a minute of flutter-kicks, and a couple of miles run (or even a brisk walk) willl produce an enviable level of fitness.
 
Is this hard to do? It depends.
 
If you have been a couch potato for a while then yes, it will be hard at first – so start slow and work up. Pretty soon, if you stick with it, it will get easier and maybe even fun.
 
What else can you do to safeguard your health?
 
Any machine needs good fuel, and your body is no exception. Plenty of high quality protein gives your muscles the raw materials to build with, and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables for all the nutrients that they contain. Too easy, right? Wrong! Our modern Standard American Diet (aka SAD) is woefully deficient in protein, vitamins and minerals – but hey, it provides plenty of simple carbs… which is not what you want if you are going to get and stay healthy.
 
So what can you do about it?
 
Protein shakes have long been a staple of athletes and body builders, but you can take advantage of the benefits of high quality protein too – check out Dr. Myatt’s Super Shake recipe and try starting your day this way.
 
Vitamin supplements make good sense – but what should you take?

First, be aware that there is no such thing as a “one-a-day” vitamin that contains enough of anything to be worthwhile. A good, optimal dose multiple vitamin should be taken in several divided doses throughout the day, and will not be found in less than 6 reasonable sized capsules per day. Maxi Multi  is Dr. Myatt’s custom formula and represents a state-of-the-art multivitamin that we compare others to.
 
For those who cannot find the time throughout the day to remember to “take their vities” we have formulated My Packs – a packet of tablets that can be taken once daily. My Packs are the closest thing to a once-a-day vitamin that you will find.

And of course, if you are active duty, we have formulated Extreme Duty Once Daily Optimal Defense Packs to meet the special mental and physical requirements of active duty service.
 
But back to our naval aviators – what vitamins, minerals or supplements do they take to stay healthy and sharp? The military is strangely silent on the subject of vitamin supplements – but research is clear that diet and supplementation makes a big difference to mental and athletic performance and stamina. High protein, low carbohydrates, optimal daily vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients help improve performance markers across the board.
 
Good health and high level performance are not accidents! Just ask any Blue Angel.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 7th, 2007 at 3:36 pm and is filed under Military Sports and Fitness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Comments and pings are closed.

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