Prince Harry is encouraging military personnel to stay mentally fit with his latest project. On Monday, the 35-year-old Duke of Sussex launched HeadFIT, a project that's been in development for three years with the Ministry of Defense and The Royal Foundation's campaign, Heads Together, which Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton launched in 2016.
The 24/7 resource encourages military personnel to take a proactive approach to mental fitness with self-help tools that can enhance mood, drive and confidence, while also helping to manage the stresses of everyday life.
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"I’ve long believed the military community should lead the way for the rest of society. For too long we have been waiting for problems to arise and then reacting to them," Harry said in a statement. "HeadFIT is a proactive approach to mental fitness, focusing on our own potential to increase our performance, using proven methods in sport science."
"This is about optimization of self. This is about being the best you can be. This is about gaining advantage, whether facing an opponent or overcoming a challenging situation," he continued. "This is about building resilience that will match that of the most world class athletes and prepare you for everyday stress. To be HeadFIT, is to be at your peak performance."
In a video on HeadFIT's website, Harry further discusses the necessity of training "your mind and body as one."
"Today when we talk about fitness, we don't just mean how fast you can run or how much weight you can carry. This is about mental fitness, strength and resilience. Not just while you're wearing a uniform, but for the rest of your life. If you want to be truly fit, strong and healthy, you need to train your mind and body as one," he said. "HeadFIT is a resource for everyone, whatever your job, whatever your rank, whatever you've got going on at home."
"All service personnel are vital role models in society and we need you to be able to access that extra 10, maybe 15 percent, something that can only be obtained when you adopt a regular routine for training the mind and the body as one single unit," he continued. "I know this to be true, it works for me."
HeadFIT marks Harry's first major project since he stepped away from his royal duties last month. Currently, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, are spending their COVID-19 quarantine in Los Angeles with their son, Archie.
Watch the video below for more on Harry and Meghan.
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