Why soldiers are athletes and their bodies pay for it

A 30-year-old soldier can have the knees of a 60-year-old. Not from one bad injury, but from carrying a load every single day for years. Family medicine and sports medicine physician Ann Lebeck returns to explain why she came to see soldiers as tactical athletes, and what that means for their bodies. This episode is based on her article "Military sports medicine and the cost of readiness," published on KevinMD. You will hear why young recruits who never played sports kept saying the Army broke them, how early joint damage shows up predictably with years of service, and why a soldier is a year-round athlete for two decades, not a four-year career. Ann shares the program she built that taught running mechanics, strengthening, and even the right shoes, and the results after 1,200 soldiers came through. You will come away seeing soldiers, and every physically demanding job, through the eyes of the doctor who learned to treat the body that carries the load. Partner with me on the KevinMD platform. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story. PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast