DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Kevin J. Steinberg

Cmdr. Sarah Arnold is a physician trained in family medicine and preventive medicine. She served in the Navy for 14 years and completed two tours in Iraq. Five years ago, she lost her friend to suicide and was compelled to write about it, in part because she was the last person to see her colleague and friend before she died and also for her own healing.

Two police officers stood at my front door. As I invited them in, they asked if I knew the whereabouts of my friend Dawn (name changed) because she was missing from the hospital. Dawn, a Navy nurse, and I, a Navy doctor, at the time, worked together. We went our separate ways, as we all do in the Navy after a tour is over. I was now in a residency program, and she was stationed at another clinic. That’s why I was surprised to see her one day at the hospital where I was working.

	Air Force 1st Lt. Dave Earl participates in an event at the annual Squadron Fitness Challenge at Langley Air Force Base, Va., May 24, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kayla Newman)

Thanks to modern medicine, people are living longer. But this now begs the question: how do we gracefully age with our physical and emotional health intact? In other words, how do we embrace healthy aging for the mind and body? Well, perhaps with the right approach and mindset toward physical activity, we can accomplish both.  

You may be wondering; what is healthy aging, and how do I achieve it? 

Healthy aging is simply the notion of avoiding health problems, living independently, and finding enjoyment in life as we age. Unfortunately, there’s no pill for healthy aging. However, there’s one surefire strategy that will provide you with a healthy mind and body as you age, and it’s this:

Engage in physical activity now.

Exercise is the single most important element to achieving healthy aging for the body and the mind. A practical approach to thinking about exercise as we age is to consider activities we want to participate in not only now, but also in 10 or 20 years down the road. Remember, there’s no substitute for the strength and stamina necessary to play with your children or grandchildren.

	Spc. Brittany Williams, 7th Signal Command (Theater), prepares to reassemble her rifle for the react to contact lane, during the Signal Command’s Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Year competition in 2010. (U.S. Army photo)

Do you know a woman who is in the military or is a veteran? Wonder if her psychological health needs are different than those of men? Researchers are focusing on gender differences related to military psychological health, identifying interesting results. For instance, let’s look at posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as it relates to military women.

PTSD is a psychological health disorder that gets a lot of attention in the military community. It includes the experience of a traumatic event, followed by symptoms that impair an individual’s ability to function. These include re-experiencing the traumatic event, persistent avoidance of things associated with the trauma, feeling numb, and new feelings of increased physiological arousal (such as increased startle reflex, difficulty with sleep or irritability).

	Gunner Butt, son of Sgt. 1st Class Walter Butt, stands with his family waiting for the return of their deployed Soldier from Afghanistan, at Stout Field, Ind. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. John Crosby)

For a family experiencing deployment for the first time or one with multiple deployments behind them, it’s always good to remember tips to make it easier to power through a deployment. The DCoE April webinar reminded us of how parental deployment can impact children’s psychological health as well as the health of the non-deployed parent.

Presenters acknowledged that it can be tough being a military kid — adding the stress of a deployed parent increases the risk for adjustment problems as well as emotional and behavioral challenges. Likewise, additional responsibilities managed by the parent or caregiver at home can result in higher stress levels. To support children and families navigating deployment and reintegration, include these resilience and coping strategies in your mental toolbox:

	Photo courtesy of U.S. Marine Corps

Remember those small, hard candy hearts that professed feelings of love and affection? They had inscriptions such as, “Be Mine,” “U R 2 Cool,” “Love” and “No Chance.” Whoops. That’s one you didn’t want; you probably threw it back in the bag and started over. In real-life relationships, we try hard not to start over. Fortunately, there are many ways we can avoid getting to the point of “no chance” if we take the time to make adjustments in how we relate to one another.

Military couples experience extra challenges in their relationships, from deployments to reunions to finding that sweet spot again after an absence where harmony triumphs over discord. Add-in relationship complications from a spouse’s post-traumatic stress or traumatic brain injury and the need to communicate productively takes on another dimension.