Swiss army launches fitness app for future recruits
The Swiss army on Monday launched a new app designed to get recruits fit before they arrive at recruit school.
The ready #teamarmee app has been created by the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) together with the Swiss Armed Forces.
It is chiefly designed for teens aged 14 to 18 as a way to help improve their fitness level before they undergo training as part of Switzerland’s compulsory military service.
Read also: The Swiss army's growing problem with civilian service
At one level, the new program functions like a conventional sports app. It includes information on different exercises as well as dietary and lifestyle tips and can be used by anyone looking for an all-round training program.
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But the app, which is to be available in German, French and Italian, also allows users to select training programs based around the needs of different soldiers such as defence corps units and air force pilots.
In a statement on the new app, the DDPS said that physically fit people were generally more motivated and less susceptible to injuries.
The department also said that fit people were less likely to drop out of the army.
Figures from a University of Zurich study from 2016 looking at abdominal girth measurements suggested around 10 to 15 percent of Swiss army recruits could be overweight.
That study was conducted after 2015 Swiss health ministry figures based on 'cruder' Body Mass Index measurements suggested one in four recruits were overweight or obese.
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The ready #teamarmee app has been created by the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) together with the Swiss Armed Forces.
It is chiefly designed for teens aged 14 to 18 as a way to help improve their fitness level before they undergo training as part of Switzerland’s compulsory military service.
Read also: The Swiss army's growing problem with civilian service
At one level, the new program functions like a conventional sports app. It includes information on different exercises as well as dietary and lifestyle tips and can be used by anyone looking for an all-round training program.
But the app, which is to be available in German, French and Italian, also allows users to select training programs based around the needs of different soldiers such as defence corps units and air force pilots.
In a statement on the new app, the DDPS said that physically fit people were generally more motivated and less susceptible to injuries.
The department also said that fit people were less likely to drop out of the army.
Figures from a University of Zurich study from 2016 looking at abdominal girth measurements suggested around 10 to 15 percent of Swiss army recruits could be overweight.
That study was conducted after 2015 Swiss health ministry figures based on 'cruder' Body Mass Index measurements suggested one in four recruits were overweight or obese.
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