Reframing PRT

Most Soldiers hate organized Physical Readiness Training, or PRT. They tolerate it. Few enjoy it, and even fewer get anything out of it. I have a 1,600 word draft of an article titled “Army PRT is Garbage” that explains why — and outlines a few ways we could make it better — that will never see the light of day. Public critiques tend to reflect poorly on those who post them. I expect most Soldiers could speak at length on this subject, though, so ask one sometime. Today, I want to talk about the shift in mindset that helped me come to terms with this program.

Think of organized PRT not as a workout, but rather a team building exercise. No one will ever frame it this way, and you may take some flak for voicing this opinion, but it makes much more sense. Diverse work roles will ensure the entire team almost never gets together during work hours, but much less competes for their time and attention between 0600 and 0700. Use this time to build the team first, and as a workout second. The determining factor in your team’s health and fitness will never be the difficulty of this 45 minute workout anyway, but rather their actions during the other 23 hours of the day. Use this time together well. The alternative is the much-hated PRT program, and if this doesn’t work out for your team, you can always go back to it.