The Bottom Half of the Tactical Athlete
Venn Diagram Explained with BASE - R® Method

Recent Tactical Fitness Report on Stress Mitigation Using the BASE-R ® Method created by Stephen Robinson and his team at EvenPulse.com 

I have written many articles on the phases of tactical fitness:

Phase 1 - Getting TO the Training - The candidate / recruit passing fitness standards.  Could be easy or could be highly competitive requiring top scores to qualify for some special ops selections programs.

Phase 2 - Getting THROUGH the Training - The student now has to endure basic training and follow on training in advanced selection programs for special ops try outs.  This requires significant time getting specific to the challenges of your future training as you will need durability and work capacity to succeed. 

Phase 3 - Active Duty Operator - If you make the tactical professions a career, you will be older longer than you are younger. What you do today will directly affect your longevity and ability to successfully grow and manage the stressful situations of your job. This will come down to your knowledge of the big picture of tactical fitness today.

Why Is The Bottom Half of the Venn Diagram So Important

America's military and first responders have a higher rate of cancers, stress-related injury and illnesses, cardiac events, career-ending/delaying physical injuries and, worse, mental health issues -- many resulting in suicide. Learning to deal with the stresses of the job and sleepless nights on shift work, consuming foods that actually helps you metabolize stress better, and exercising for better overall mental and physical health should be the goal of tactical fitness. So, as the top half of the diagram is important to your physical abilities of work capacity and durability, the bottom half plays an even bigger role in helping you manage highly physical days / nights and the stresses of the job. It is literally life or death for the tactical professions.

Maintaining strong bodies as we age is just one goal of tactical fitness. Keeping the mind strong and resilient to handle the stresses of life in the tactical world  requires work and an understanding of the physiology of stress. See de-stress related articles, such as Stress: The Perfect Storm.

Learning how to deal with daily stress will help you learn to master mental stress and avoid it from becoming chronic. Just minutes a day of focused time on yourself and your well-being can be all you need to help you prevent a major setback mentally, physically and emotionally. That is Tactical Fitness.

In a nutshell, here is the BASE-R Method ® taught by the Even Pulse Team as discussed in the Tactical Fitness Report Podcast (link above):

Breath - The importance and learning HOW to breathe to slow down your nervous system.  Simply lengthen the inhale and exhale with a short pause in between, both in through the nose / out through the mouth. Take a few minutes and try box breathing for starters (4 secs IN, 4 sec hold, 4 sec out, 4 sec hold).  Then advance to lengthening the exhale each breath cycle - inhaling with the full lung (top and bottom). 

Attention - Observe internally (inside body) and externally your situation. Focus on breathing, obtrusive thoughts and redirect them to constructive thoughts. Observe the amount of energy in your body or lack thereof. 

Simulation - Create an optimal performance state and mindset. Focus on the goal and simulate the process of achieving that goal visualizing each step of the journey. 

Energy - Assess energy state and use skills to shift as desired such as performance cues and name it - tame it. Workout (fight stress with fitness) but also use recovery exercises (stretches, poses, dynamic stretches) as a cooldown. 

Recovery - All the above can help you recover along with hydration, nutrition, rest and sleep. More on recovery - Sleep Missing Link to Performance

For more information on this training, check out EVENPULSE.COM - use the Stew20off COUPON Code and save 20%.

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