Wounded Warrior Project Hosts Physical Health and Wellness Expo for Injured Veterans
Posted: January 30, 2017 in Other News
Wounded Warrior Project
ATLANTA, GA – A group of veterans served by Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) recently learned new techniques for managing their physical health and wellness at an Atlanta expo. The 3-day event was available to veterans of all fitness levels, no matter where they were in their recoveries. Throughout the gathering, WWP staff and coaches assisted in the physical, and emotional, challenges of the event.
“I came into the event hoping to learn how to lose weight and stay healthy,” said Army Veteran Valerie Lewis. “I want to stay motivated and make it a routine, so it becomes part of my day-to-day life. When I arrived, however, I was so nervous that I almost left.”
Valerie, like many warriors WWP serves, struggles with isolation. After serving for eight years and two tours – one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan – unfamiliar surroundings and new people left her feeling uncomfortable.
“If it wasn’t for Allison and the other Wounded Warrior Project staff, I don’t think I would’ve been able to enjoy this event,” she explained. “They made us all feel welcome.”
WWP program events support the long-term recovery needs of warriors by reintroducing them and their families to the unique bonds experienced during military service. In a WWP survey of the injured warriors it serves, more than half of survey respondents (51.7 percent) talked with fellow Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn veterans to address their mental health issues, and 29.6 percent expressed physical activity helps.
Participants at the event enjoyed yoga, weight training, seminars on healthy eating, and TRX (Total Body Resistance Exercise) training.
Physical fitness and weight training were only part of the expo. The staff and trainers also explained the fundamentals of nutrition and maintaining healthy habits. The seminars were hosted in a casual setting, offering warriors a chance to ask questions and chat with staff about their health concerns.
