Written with contributions from Superfeet Wellness Experts
This Veterans Day, it's important for everyone to take some time out of their usual celebrations to remember—and salute—the brave men and women the holiday aims to recognize.
One way you can honor these fighters? Incorporating some of the best military-style exercise routines into your daily workout.
For this Veterans Day, try out one of these remarkable workouts to train (if only for one day) like the tough, brave souls that protect our country.
The Murph
Train like a Navy SEAL with "The Murph" challenge. This Navy SEAL workout routine takes its name after the heroic Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Team member (and CrossFit fanatic), who counted it as one of his favorite workouts. Murphy died in Afghanistan in 2005 (his story is in the book and movie Lone Survivor, with Taylor Kitsch playing him), earning the Medal of Honor for valor.
In remembrance, "The Murph" quickly became one of the most popular exercise workouts in the country. This workout gained even more attention when Marvel star Chris Pratt and "The Office" star John Krasinski did it a few years ago.
Ready to try it? Here's what you do:
Start with a 1-mile run
Follow that with 100 pull-ups
Next, do 200 push-ups
After that, 300 squats
Finally, there's another 1-mile run on tap
The added kicker? Do it all in a 20-pound vest or body armor, according to "the Murph" challenge website. This is a tough one. Good luck with it!
Hero WODs
In honor of fallen soldiers, the Crossfit Hardcore website has a library of excellent (and extremely tough) workouts to perform. Here are some of them:
The Daniel, named after Army Sergeant First Class Daniel Crabtree (killed in Iraq in 2006), includes:
50 pull-ups
A 400-meter run
Thrusters (21 reps)
An 800-meter run
Another set of thrusters (21 reps)
Another 400-meter run
Another 50 pull-ups to finish it off.
The Jason, named after Navy SEAL Jason Dale Lewis (killed in Iraq in 2007), includes:
100 squats and 5 muscle-ups
75 squats and 10 muscle-ups
50 squats and 15 muscle-ups
25 squats and 20 muscle-ups
The Garret, named after Marine Captain Garret Lawton (killed in Afghanistan in 2008), consists of:
75 squats
25 ring-handstand push-ups
25 L pull-ups
Marines High-Intensity Interval Training Workout
Semper Fi, all! Every day, the Marine Corps fitness website provides a high-energy "Workout of the Day" for the Marines to do. Get started with some of those to kick your workout to the next level.
As always, be sure that you stretch properly before and after your workout and get plenty of hydration while you exercise—especially with these high-intensity workouts.
Other than that, try to have some fun as you do these—and be sure to take some time out of the day to honor the sacrifices these brave men and women have made throughout history for our freedoms.
Good luck!
