How to get Ready for Basic Training
If you just enlisted in the Army, then Basic Training is probably weighing on your mind. When you are a civilian who has never experienced the physical and mental strain that Basic puts on you, the fear of the unknown can be overwhelming. There are things you can do, however, to prepare yourself both mentally and physically for Army Basic Training.
Workout
Begin your preparation for Army Basic Training by working out. The most basic exercises you should start with are running, push ups and sit ups at least three days a week. These will cover all the basics of getting into shape and will definitely be in your daily routine at Basic. Once you feel comfortable with these three exercises, bring in flutter kicks, jumping jacks, updowns and body weight squats. If you can master these exercises before entering basic training, you will likely find yourself ahead of the rest of your class.
Eat Fast
You need to learn how to eat quickly. Typically, you will only have around three minutes to eat a meal during chow. In that three minutes you need to consume enough carbohydrates to fuel your body, protein to build muscle and fat for long term fuel. So start training yourself to be able to pick out food that fit these requirements and then be able to consume the very quickly.
Read Stories
However, physical preparation is only half of the battle. You need to prepare yourself mentally as well. Basic training was designed not only to break you down physically but mentally as well. So start reading stories from soldiers who have recently completed Basic. If possible, find stories from soldiers who went through Basic at the post you will be at. This will help you familiarize yourself with standard training practices in the Army today, and with some luck may even help you get to know the Drill Sergeants you will be trained by.
Ask for Support
Finally, you want to be sure you get support from back home while you are in training. Start letting friends and family know you would like to get letters from them while you are in Basic. Though getting letters may seem cheesey now, you will quickly see how important they become once you start training. Those letters will be the only real contact with the outside world. They are how you will remember in the tough times that you have people who care about you back home, and that the stress you are under is only temporary. So being recruiting support now, you will be very glad you did when you start to see that mail coming in.
Doing these four things will help prepare you for the months you will spend training to be in the Army. However, it is important to remember that as with everything in life, there is only so much preparation you can do. There will still be things in Basic that you will not be prepared for. So as James Patterson said, “Always expect the unexpected”. Prepare as much as you can, then take the hits as they come. In the end you will come out of this experience stronger than you have ever been.
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