To be an officer physical fitness is mandatory, the way you appear is very important. Along with physical fitness, the character is also important to be a complete package of a gentleman. Sports provide both these in one go. Indulging in sports not only improves your fitness but also builds you mentally. It enhances some of the key traits which are required to sustain life and build our grit to encounter life.
1. MARATHONS
The best and easily available exercise of all is running and running long distance is marathon running. Marathon dates back 490 BC when Pheidippides ran back to Athens to give the victory of the war. Over the years, this became an event of competition and now a marathon is 42.2 Km while a half marathon is 21.1 Km in distance. In the defence academies of India, there is a very important event, the cross-country running which is a 12 Km competitive run.
Running long distance is purely mental, yes physical fitness does play a part but the will to go the distance matters more. It helps you to build endurance, never give up attitude and controlled aggression to finish within the stipulated time. Running a marathon also a planned process thus enhances it your trait to plan ie ” plan your work and work your plan “. All the academies be it IMA,INA , NDA, OTA or AFA a cross-country is a major event. The para SF runs 60km with a backpack and in the running world its called ultra marathon!
So, what are you waiting for go on a run and push yourself!
2. SWIMMING
Water is an essential element to live and swimming is essential to live in water. Though the sport is considered for recreation, it requires a lot of mental strength and agility in the body to be a fish in the water. It works almost all parts of your body and is the best sport to lose fat and strengthen muscles at the same time. Since it is a key survival skill all the academies push the cadets to know swimming before they pass out of the academy.
In the INA, there is a practice of open sea swimming in which you are dropped into the sea and are asked to swim back to the coast! this is a competition and certainly requires and builds one important skill in mind “survival” . The fight is between self and not the water, it certainly help you to stay calm in life as packing will not help even a bit in swimming.
3. TREKKING
Trekking is not actually a sport but is definitely one builds character and puts fitness to test. It is an activity in which you go up against nature which will definitely put you through a lot of challenges and test your skill set. When you decide to trek a mountain 1000m in height you are comparatively smaller in size but you can conquer her with your will to get on top. It tests you mental strength, the route is tough at times no route, your will to stop at nothing and ability to decide on a safe route is also tested. The thorns and shrubs give you some prized gifts but in the end, when you reach the top to the summit point, it’s all worth it, you will see yourself differently, you will no longer be in doubt about pushing yourself, after all if you can climb a mountain is there something in life you can’t do ?
4. CROSS FITNESS
They are basically a string of exercises that help you build your body only based on body strength exercises. They involve all the most commonly known pull ups, push ups, crunches, and sprint, shuttle running . In the academies, almost all cadets sport a six pack and are in top shape, one of the main reason being calisthenics and cross fitness. The muscle you build by your own body weight stays with you forever unlike supplement enriched body building.
The exercises actually push you to the limit in a very quick time and there is literally no helping in this, unlike gyms. If you want to push the limit only you can do, Cross fitness involves a series of calisthenics and HIIT are the frontline fitness activities in the academy. They build you mentally, you will not only be surprised as to how difficult it is to lift  yourself but also you will be surprised as to how quickly are able to push yourself beyond limits.
5. IRONMAN
If there is an ultimate test to endurance then it is IRONMAN or triathlon. There 3 parts in it, running, swimming, cycling. All the three are done continuously one after the other. The sport is called IRONMAN for a reason as it put one to maximum physical strain and the mentality of the person it put to a test. This can be one sport compared to the gruelling activities of the special forces of the world. A lot of dedication, practices and planning are needed for the sport. The energy level and mentality are taken to the pinnacle point. The sport is not for everyone but is definitely a one to test your mettle.
All these sports are character building one and they have a common thing, that is they build your endurance. They push you to various levels and make you strong both mentally and physically. When you excel in any of them or begin to try them the show a new dimension of yourself in a very positive way that helps you build your grit. Sports are definitely a medium to build your officer like qualities and sustain them. If there is a sport that you think other than what we have mentioned  let us know in the comments!
