Female Veterans Gather for Self-Care with Wounded Warrior Project

Army veteran Maria Cristina Garcia-Marin joined other female veterans at a Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) health clinic at Mission Bay. The mother of two young children came from New Jersey looking for ways to enhance her health routine with solutions she could bring back home. WWP hosts female-only health clinics periodically to address women-specific concerns.

“I really enjoyed learning about TRX training and doing Pilates,” Maria Cristina said. “I was highly impressed with how the program is set up because there’s follow up, and you can continue practicing what you learned once you get home.”

After the wellness clinic, warriors receive 30-minute phone calls from their personal coach every other week as part of this free program. While at the clinic, participants learn about effective exercise, the basics of nutrition, healthy cooking, resistance training, creating a workout, and setting attainable goals for themselves.

Each veteran receives a scale, TRX (training resistance exercise) instruction, elastic bands, and other equipment to help them continue exercising at home. No gym membership is required. The most important ingredients each warrior contributes are a commitment to attending the weekend health clinic, and a resolve to stick with 12 weeks of coaching via phone or video chat.

WWP organizes activities for female warriors to provide a comfortable environment to connect with each other and share experiences. Often, women realize that in taking more time to care for their health, they are also caring for their loved ones.

“The organizers are energetic and encouraging, the lessons were at various locations that kept things moving and kept me from feeling claustrophobic,” Maria Cristina said. “I was already losing the baby weight, and I plan to use the wellness coaching to help me reach other goals.”

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Photo Credit: Mie Ahmt / Shutterstock.com