Fit for Duty, Fit for Life: Inside the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness Revolution

Fort Liberty, North Carolina — 0600. Specialist Sydney Kent never expected to limp across the PT field again. Twelve months earlier an airborne‑training mishap shattered her left femur and left the 22‑year‑old water‑treatment specialist “basically bubble‑wrapped,” unable to stand in formation for more than fifteen minutes (Wuebben, 2024). Frustrated and fearing a medical discharge, she took a sergeant’s blunt advice: “These people will sort you out,” he said, steering her to the brigade’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) facility.

A human‑performance team mixed water rehabilitation, dry‑needling, modified strength training, mindfulness drills, and a peer injury‑recovery circle into a personalized plan. One year later Kent is running 5 Ks, mentoring other injured Soldiers, and eyeing a thru‑hike of the Appalachian Trail—living proof that when all five H2F domains work together, a “bubble‑wrapped” Soldier can rebound stronger than before (Wuebben, 2024).

Kent’s comeback isn’t an outlier. Across the first 28 H2F‑resourced brigades the Army recorded 52 percent fewer musculoskeletal injuries and 5,214 additional Army Combat Fitness Test passes versus non‑H2F units (South, 2023). These results anchor the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness Handbook (CALL, 2023) and drive rapid expansion of H2F to 110 active‑component brigades by 2030. In September 2024 the Army announced that H2F will extend to every Soldier—including Reserve and National Guard components—by fiscal year 2028, ensuring universal access to Human Performance Teams and resources across the total force (South, 2024).

Understanding the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) System

Launched in 2020 and housed online at h2f.army.mil, H2F replaces a “push‑ups and running” paradigm with proactive human‑performance optimization. Doctrine for the program lives in Field Manual 7‑22: Holistic Health and Fitness (Department of the Army, 2020b). The official site explains that H2F integrates five mutually reinforcing readiness domains—physical, mental, nutritional, spiritual, and sleep—to enhance readiness, resilience, and quality of life (U.S. Army, n.d.).

The Five Pillars of Army Holistic Health

Below are the official H2F definitions (U.S. Army, n.d.) followed by key ways brigades operationalize each pillar.

1. Physical Readiness

Definition: “The ability to meet the physical demands of any duty or combat position, accomplish the mission, and come home healthy.”

• Functional fitness that mirrors tactical tasks.
• Injury‑prevention protocols developed by strength and conditioning coaches—who, as of 2025, are replacing civilian athletic trainers on H2F teams—and physical therapists (South, 2025).
• Strength & conditioning programs using progressive overload and evidence‑based periodization.

2. Mental Readiness

Definition: “The ability to think, feel, and act in a manner that optimizes performance by integrating cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal capabilities into daily habits and operational tasks.”

• Cognitive‑performance coaching to sharpen decision‑making under stress.
• Resilience and mindfulness training—breathing drills and meditation sessions proved to reduce stress and improve focus (Feng, 2024).
• Robust support networks of embedded psychologists and peer groups.

3. Nutritional Readiness

Definition: “The ability to recognize, select, and consume the required food and drink to meet physical and non‑physical demands, accomplish the mission, and return home healthy.”

• Individualized fueling plans crafted by registered dietitians.
• Field‑nutrition guides for austere environments.
• Evidence‑based supplement guidance to close performance gaps.

4. Spiritual Readiness

Definition: “Develops the connection that gives meaning and purpose to one’s life, building core values, beliefs, and identity and providing resilience during stress, hardship, and tragedy.”

• Accessible chaplain services for counseling and ethical decision‑making.
• Purpose and values workshops that strengthen moral courage.
• Community‑building events to deepen trust within formations (U.S. Army, 2025).

5. Sleep Readiness

Definition: “The ability to recognize and implement sleep principles that support optimal brain function and physical recovery—Soldiers need 7‑9 hours per 24‑hour cycle.”

• Sleep‑hygiene education and scheduled recovery blocks.
• Fatigue‑management tools such as wearable trackers and controlled‑napping protocols.
• Environment optimization guidelines (temperature, light, noise) for field and garrison.

Proven Benefits

Field data and brigade after‑action reports document significant gains:

• Musculoskeletal injuries: ↓ 52 % (South, 2023)
• ACFT/AFT passes: + 5,214 Soldiers (South, 2023)
• Suicide rate: ↓ 37 % (South, 2023)
• Behavioral‑health referrals: ↓ 49 % (South, 2023)

Commanders also report shorter rehabilitation timelines and higher retention (CALL, 2023).

How Soldiers Can Apply H2F Principles Daily

• Visit h2f.army.mil for domain‑specific self‑assessments and training materials.
• Follow a customized fitness plan—use the ArmyFit app for bodyweight fitness plans or unit H2F coaches.
• Prioritize mental health—practice daily mindfulness and access behavioral‑health resources early.
• Monitor fueling—log meals and hydrate according to activity load.
• Embrace spiritual fitness—seek purpose, participate in unit service projects, and engage chaplaincy.
• Commit to sleep discipline—target 7‑9 hours; use eye masks and earplugs in field conditions.

Soldier‑Centric Resources

Each H2F‑resourced brigade fields a Human Performance Team (HPT) of strength coaches, physical therapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, cognitive‑performance specialists, and chaplains (Department of the Army, 2020a). Soldiers everywhere can tap h2f.army.mil for:

• Interactive domain pages with downloadable guides, videos, and assessment tools.
• H2F Academy information—courses that certify leaders as H2F Integrators (U.S. Army, n.d.).
• Unit Resources portal with turnkey briefs, policy templates, and implementation timelines.
• Domain Deep‑Dive podcasts and webinars featuring Army leaders and health experts.
• Image Gallery for briefing slides and social‑media content.

Recent unit‑level events, such as the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade’s “March Madness Challenge” in Kuwait, showcase innovative ways H2F teams build holistic readiness in deployed environments (U.S. Army, 2025).

Conclusion

The Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness system fuses physical training with mental, nutritional, spiritual, and sleep readiness. Sydney Kent’s recovery—and thousands of similar success stories—illustrates H2F’s power to transform injuries into resilience, reduce harmful behaviors, and elevate combat effectiveness. With the official h2f.army.mil hub, growing Human Performance Teams, and the ArmyFit mobile app, every Soldier now has the knowledge and tools to stay fit for duty and fit for life.

Take action today:

Head to the official H2F Unit Resources portal for downloadable training briefs, implementation timelines, and turnkey tools that will jump‑start holistic readiness in your formation.

References

ArmyFit. (n.d.). ArmyFit mobile application. Retrieved from https://www.army.fit/

Center for Army Lessons Learned. (2023). Holistic Health and Fitness handbook (Publication No. 23‑06‑784). https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/2023/06/05/25e44ff1/23-06-784-holistic-health-and-fitness-handbook-jun-23-public-release-1.pdf

Department of the Army. (2020a). Holistic Health and Fitness operating concept. https://www.army.mil/e2/downloads/rv7/aft/h2f_operating_concept.pdf

Department of the Army. (2020b). Field Manual 7‑22: Holistic Health and Fitness. https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN20039_FM_7-22_FINAL_WEB_v2.pdf

Feng, C. Q. (2024, March 22). Needs‑based approach to holistic health and fitness. NCO Journal. https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/NCO-Journal/Archives/2024/March/Holistic-Health-and-Fitness/

South, T. (2023, April 26). Early data shows 37 % suicide decrease in units with holistic health. Army Times. https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2023/04/26/early-data-shows-37-suicide-decrease-in-units-with-holistic-health/

South, T. (2024, September 12). Army to expand Holistic Health and Fitness program to all Soldiers. Army Times. https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2024/09/12/army-to-expand-holistic-health-and-fitness-program-to-all-soldiers/

South, T. (2025, April 22). Army to replace athletic trainers with strength coaches on H2F teams. Army Times. https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2025/04/22/army-to-replace-athletic-trainers-with-strength-coaches-on-h2f-teams/

U.S. Army. (2025, April 19). 101st CAB H2F develops readiness and “Eagle Mindset” at March Madness Challenge. https://www.army.mil/article/284642

U.S. Army. (n.d.). Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F). Retrieved from https://h2f.army.mil/

U.S. Army. (n.d.-b). H2F Image Gallery [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://h2f.army.mil/

Wuebben, J. (2024, October 1). After a horrific accident, this program gave me my life back. Women’s Health. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a61763548/after-a-horrific-accident-this-program-gave-me-my-life-back/