C-Force: Muscles, a Movie and Military on My Mind

When it comes to entertainment, for me there are few things better than watching a good action-packed movie. One of those things is being in an action movie. It's been a while for me, but I am happy to announce I am back at it, this time alongside sci-fi icon and director/coproducer Derek Ting in the military combat film "Agent Recon," out June 21. If you are interested in taking a peek, here is a link to the movie trailer.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26743864/?ref_=tt_mv_close

One of the joys of this particular moviemaking experience was the opportunity to work with my son Dakota, a third-degree blackbelt and martial arts expert in his own right, who choreographed my fight sequences. One reason I am out there, still able to mix it up in a combat scene at age 84, has to do with physical fitness and my commitment to maintaining it. As an example, it takes dedicated effort to maintain strength, especially as we age, so strength training is an important part of the work I put into my routine.

As reported by Harvard Health Publishing, "Beginning at around age 35, arm strength and overall muscle mass start to decline by 1% each year. After age 60, we can lose up to 3% of our muscle mass each year. This muscle loss can lead to reduced strength, a more limited range of motion, and a greater risk of injuries."

As the Harvard report reminds us, "Arm strength is important for many of the everyday tasks or functional activities we perform." When we think of arm muscles, think for a moment about what we require our arms to do. Your biceps help bend your arm at the elbow joint in lifting, carrying and manipulating things. Your triceps straighten your arm at the elbow joint and assist in pushing, lifting and throwing.

According to a January article in The New York Times, research shows the importance of resistance training in an exercise routine. "Nearly half of American adults meet government guidelines for aerobic exercise (150 minutes or more of weekly moderate activity, or 75 minutes if it's vigorous)," writes the Times' Cindy Kuzma. "But only half of those also do the recommended two muscle-strengthening sessions each week." According to a statement by the American Heart Association, "even if you're aerobically fit, resistance training further improves cardiovascular health and extends life." Stronger muscles and tendons also "better absorb impacts from walking and running, protecting you from injuries," says Dr. Anh Bui, according to Kuzma.

Amanda Paluch, a researcher at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, says "research suggests even one strength-training session a week extends life compared to none. But for the full range of benefits, aim for twice weekly," Kuzma writes.

A Stressed-Out Society's Impact on the Military

As many of you may know, I am a former member of the United States Air Force and a past spokesperson for the U.S. Veterans Administration. In 2007, I was made an honorary member of the U.S. Marine Corps in recognition of my visits to troops in Iraq.

Over the years, I have spent hundreds of hours visiting soldiers at military installations and in America's veteran hospitals. The reasons are simple. Like many Americans, my military experience in the U.S. Air Force played an important part in instilling in me a sense of character and discipline that has served me throughout my life. For this, I am thankful. During my career, I have always tried to acknowledge the debt I owe to this experience, as well as encourage others to discover the values and moral rewards to be found in U.S. military service.

This current acting role is just the latest in the many parts I have played as law enforcement or military figures. For them, I have simply drawn upon the acts of courage large and small I have seen in the men and women with whom I have served or have known.

Military.com reports that the Rand Corp. recently held a panel discussion on "What Americans Think About Veterans." This session was essentially a review of a Rand report issued in December that "found that Americans still think highly of veterans, but a majority (54%) would recommend against joining the military."

Military.com goes on to quote a "Stress in America" survey conducted by the Harris Poll for the American Psychological Association released last November that attributes this trend in part to the military contending "with drawing recruits from a stressed-out society." As explained by Ashish Vazirani, the Pentagon's acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness, fewer and fewer young Americans have a parent who was in the military. "In 1995, 40% of young people had a parent who served in the military but by 2022, just 12% had a parent who had served," Vazirani says. Other factors suggested as contributing to fewer young people signing up for the military were youth obesity and pandemic-era closings of high schools to recruiters.

A February report on Military.com notes that an annual Navy survey of sailors shows that "stress for the rank and file is continuing to grow," writes Konstantin Toropin. The data suggests that "more than one-third of sailors surveyed reported feeling severe or extreme levels of stress in 2023. ... Alongside the rising stress levels in the fleet, the survey also found that burnout -- sailors being exhausted and disengaged from their jobs -- is a significant problem."

Given the proximity of our annual observance of a special day set aside to honor the memory of our fallen soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service and protection of their fellow Americans, this news is even harder to hear and even more urgent to correct.

Follow Chuck Norris through his official social media sites, on Twitter @chucknorris and Facebook's "Official Chuck Norris Page." He blogs at http://chucknorrisnews.blogspot.com. To find out more about Chuck Norris and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

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