WARRIOR WOD FOUNDATION

WarriorWOD Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit foundation providing healing mental and physical wounds from combat through exercise and nutrition. Our programs help veterans recover from their invisible wounds, including but not limited to Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), and thoughts of suicide. WarriorWOD programs prioritize exercise, physical fitness, and nutrition as a leading prescription in veterans' recovery from PTS and other invisible wounds.

The standard prescription for PTSD by the Veterans Affairs system is antidepressants and brief periods of therapy. However, veteran PTSD, employment, and suicide statistics demonstrate that mental and physical health is not accessible for veterans and their families through pharmaceutical and traditional VA methods.

WarriorWOD is addressing these gaps in veterans' mental health care through exercise, nutrition, and mentorship in the recovery of PTS for veterans. We help veterans achieve the following outcomes: improvement of quality of life, reduction of PTS symptoms, improved social and occupational functioning, improved self-worth, improved motivation, and improved confidence.

As by-products of our programs, we will reduce PTS symptoms, suicide, and obesity in veterans. Further, we will reduce the dependency on VA-prescribed antidepressants and self-prescribed alcohol and illegal drugs

Our Programs and Services consist of 3 main components; exercise, nutrition, and mentorship.

Each Veteran will either get a 6-month gym membership to the fitness modality of their choice or, for those homebound Veterans, we will provide at-home fitness equipment. WarriorWOD designed our programs to meet the Veteran where they are physically and encourage them to exercise regardless of modality.

Along with the exercise component, we will provide the Veteran with nutrition coaching. The Veteran will meet with a virtual nutrition coach one on one weekly. They discuss eating habits, macro intake, goals, weight gain/loss, body image, and healthy eating during this time. In addition, Veterans will have access to a local In-Body machine to determine Lean Muscle Mass and Body Fat Percentages with accuracy.

Lastly, our Mentorship component is the lynchpin that brings everything together. Not only does the Veteran get aligned with other Veterans who likely have a similar mindset and set of experiences, but they can easily relate, sympathize and empathize. Further, the mentorship fosters accountability, motivation, and ownership in the program that drives results, ultimately benefiting the participating Veteran in their PTS recovery.

The benefits of exercise and nutrition as therapy for PTS and reducing veteran suicide rates are well studied and documented. These benefits include an improvement of physical and cognitive abilities, an increase in confidence and self-esteem, fostering a greater involvement in the community, advances in social tendencies, helping to strengthen interpersonal skills and relationships, improvements in coping and adaptation skills, enhancing well-being, and encouraging a greater sense of accomplishment. Using exercise and nutrition as therapy as a tool is profound because there are no barriers to any individual participating.

Broad and population-based correlation studies show evidence that the benefits of physical activity extend beyond the actual exertion and help alleviate long-term depression and treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as antidepressant medication—but without the side effects.

Exercise is a natural and effective way to help veterans decrease depression and anxiety. Research indicates that exercise can reduce psychological distress by 47%. When veterans exercise, their bodies release chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins trigger a positive feeling in the body. Exercise also helps to improve cognitive functioning, including decision making, learning, and mental focus. It also contributes to many positive physical health outcomes, such as improved cardiovascular health, weight loss, and greater flexibility and mobility. In addition, studies on PTSD found that physical activity significantly reduced depressive and PTSD symptoms.

Nutrition plays a vital role in the reduction of PTSD symptoms. For example, a regular diet in refined or processed foods and saturated fats increased the likelihood of depression by 50%. Conversely, there is a 30% reduction in the risk for major depression and anxiety disorders by adults who consume a diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and meat and fish.

Socialization can improve mental health. Being a part of a fitness class, gym, or exercise group can lead to new friends and forming bonds. A better social life can improve your mental health, especially when dealing with depression. Having a connection with like-minded veterans that have once or currently are dealing with invisible wounds provides veterans an outlet to talk openly about their struggles, provides empathy, and leads to recovery. Increased self-esteem and reduction of anxiety lead to improved social well-being. Further, exercising can lead to meeting new people and developing relationships.