Getting FIT for your Mission - A Guide for Future Missionaries (and Parents!)

Ideally, you will already be healthy (physically and emotionally) before you even start thinking about preparing for a mission. In reality, most prospective missionaries probably have some things they can work on to improve their health - either their physical fitness or their emotional health. 

This blog post will focus on preparing for the level of physical fitness that is required for LDS missionaries, but we will also feature a post on emotional (mental) health) in a future post. If you need more information about emotional health guidelines for LDS missionaries now, don't worry- I will post a link to the Church's official page on the subject at the end of this post.

There seems be an infinite supply of advice on how to "get healthy" or lose/gain weight and if you ask 100 people their opinion on the healthiest way to eat or the best way to exercise, you're probably going to get 100 different answers. 

I am not a medical professional, but in general I  will start off by recommending TWO things for future missionaries: 

#1- Follow the advice of trusted medical professionals (such as your primary care doctor).

#2- Do your best to follow the Word of Wisdom. I'm going to assume that you already understand that the "Primary answers" basics of the Word of Wisdom (no alcohol, no tobacco, no coffee or tea, no illegal drugs) are definitely required of any prospective missionary. But those 4 "don'ts" aren't the Word of Wisdom - they are only a part of the Word of Wisdom. What else is explicitly stated (or implied) in what we call the Word of Wisdom (Doctrine & Covenants section 89)? Hint- not everything is a "don't"... what ARE we told to do? Sometimes people tend to overlook the "do's" The Word of Wisdom was given to help us know how to best to care for our mortal bodies. Sometimes  OFTEN, the principles Word of Wisdom doesn't mix well with fad diets or health trends. OR, you may have certain health restrictions (such as a legitimate gluten allergy) that will make keeping part of the Word of Wisdom impossible. You will need to discern for yourself (using your knowledge, medical advice, and most importantly the Spirit) what is appropriate for your specific body. This applies to what you eat as well as what exercise is appropriate for you.

Just like they state in every exercise video, consult a doctor before starting an exercise regimen! Your doctor is aware of your physical limitations (due to medical conditions or concerns) and can help you to understand what is appropriate for your body and your fitness goals.

Did you know that you need your doctor to sign off that you're physically (and emotionally) fit to serve a mission? They will determine whether they believe that you are healthy enough to handle the physical requirements of serving a mission. If they don't (in their professional opinion) feel that they can sign off on your health form, they won't do it! It is better to know what needs to be done ahead of time! 

I have suggested to several missionaries that they might consider visiting their primary care doctor WAY before it is time to submit their papers (maybe even a year or 2 in advance if you have serious medical concerns or significant weight issues). The reason for this visit would be to explain your plan to serve a mission (even if you aren't 100% sure you are going yet) and discuss what changes you would need to make to your lifestyle in order for them to feel comfortable with approving you for missionary service. Your doctor may or may not be LDS, but even if you don't live in a highly-populated by Church members, many doctors are at least somewhat familiar with LDS mission papers because all prospective missionaries needs them signed by their doctor. Even if your doctor isn't familiar with the mission requirements, you can explain what is expected as far as missionary health (see below). 

There are BMI (height/weight) requirements AND requirements for physical ability (which I will explain below), so your doctor could say "Well, I'm not sure you can handle these physical requirements, I want you to walk 6 miles a day for 3 months and then come back after you've done that" or "I need you to lose 40 pounds before I can sign this"... can you imagine how disappointing that would be if you thought you were all ready to submit your mission papers? It would be better to know AHEAD OF TIME, so that you can make any changes that you may be required to make.

Donald B. Doty M.D. (Chairman of Missionary Department Health Services) says, "I recommend that health preparation begin at least two years in advance of the anticipated missionary service. Those who wait to prepare until the last minute or until after they have received the call to serve may not be ready and may even have their missions delayed"

If you are already 18 (Elders) or 19 (Sisters), or are getting close to turning missionary age, you might be planning to leave in less than 2 years. Ideally, you will have been preparing for several years, but if your health is good this won't keep you from serving. Use whatever time you have left before you plan to submit your mission papers to prepare to the best of your ability- again, using sound medical advice from trusted sources. Just like get-rich-quick-schemes, shortcuts to achieve weight loss or "health" are never a good idea.

Basic exercise (physical ability) requirements:

To sum up Dr. Doty's assessment of the physical exercise ability requirements of a full-time missionary: "a missionary must be able to walk an average of 6 miles per day and ride a bicycle 12 miles a day". 

WALKING: Can you walk 6 miles in one day (either all at once or broken up throughout the day? You might need to do both!) and can you do it without a problem? Even if you don't think you are "out of shape," you might be sore for a while if you aren't used to walking that much. Your muscles will be sore and your feet will be sore (blisters, etc). And being sore will slow you down as a missionary. Eventually you will get used to walking so much, but its better to get used to it NOW vs. getting used to it as a missionary. I recommend starting slow with shorter distances and eventually working up to 6 miles if you aren't used to walking long distances. Ask your doctor for recommendations on how much walking to start with. I live in a part of the country where it is POURING rain for most of the year. As a missionary, you will need to walk whether it is raining or not. For now, you can take advantage of a treadmill if the weather is bad. However, if the weather is good enough, try to do most of your walking outside (because a treadmill doesn't accurately replicate missionary walking where you will be on uneven surfaces, stepping on rocks, etc). 

BIKING: You may or may not need to ride a bike, but the issue for you to consider now, is CAN YOU? You should be physically able to ride 12 miles, even if you don't end up in a mission/area with bikes. If you don't have a bike (or the weather is way too rainy to ride right now - like it is in our town!) you can practice on an exercise bike. Most missionaries who are on bikes probably don't bike 12 miles in one stretch, most likely the average 12 miles per day is spread out in smaller chunks over the day. But in some areas, you may need to bike many miles at a time. Whether it is small chunks of biking or 12 miles at one time, 12 miles is 12 miles...if you aren't used to biking that much, you are going to be hurting. If you are just starting biking (or exercise biking), start out slow and work your way up to 12 miles per day over time. Ask your doctor for recommendations on how much biking to start with.

Dr. Doty suggests that future missionaries can prepare physically for missionary service by having a regular pattern of aerobic exercise (walking, running, or cycling) for at least an hour a day. Again, this is a general guidelines that doesn't take into account your personal physical limitations or medical conditions, so you will definitely want to check with your doctor to see if he/she would recommend something different for your specific situation. 

BMI/WEIGHT ISSUES: 

"The Missionary Department requires that missionaries have a body mass index no higher than 37. This is actually on the border between obesity and morbid obesity. Prospective missionaries should strive to keep their weight in the normal range, thereby avoiding obesity-related health problems. Being markedly under normal weight can also have serious health consequences"

To determine your current BMI (body mass index), you can use an online BMI calculator like this, which takes your personal information like height and weight and calculates your BMI for you. Basically, the result will tell you whether you are considered medically underweight, overweight, etc. based on your height to weight ratio. It does not take into consideration body type and things like that, so please try not to freak out if you don't like your result. Your doctor is the best resource to help you determine what an appropriate BMI is for you. If you need to make changes to your lifestyle (food and exercise) to change your BMI, your doctor can also recommend the best way to do that.

FOOD/DIET/NUTRITION:

I already mentioned the importance of carefully studying and living the Word of Wisdom earlier in this post. Dr. Doty says, "Rather than living on sugar and fat, young people should learn to enjoy meals consisting of protein and fiber, such as lean meat, yogurt, vegetables, and fruit. Also, drinking more than 12 ounces of carbonated beverage per day is too much". 

ADDITIONAL PHYSICAL HEALTH CONCERNS:

"Adequate sleep: Although sleep needs vary, young adults generally need to sleep seven to eight hours per day...Missionaries live a scheduled life. They are in bed by 10:30 p.m. and up by 6:30 a.m. every day. This schedule will be difficult unless prospective missionaries get into a similar routine well in advance of the call to service"

"Meal preparation skills: ... I stress the word simple because missionaries often cook food on a hot plate or a single gas burner and may not have an oven. Every prospective missionary needs to know the basics of cooking and sanitary food handling"

"Personal hygiene. Personal cleanliness and good grooming habits are vital to missionary success. Favorable first impressions are lasting. Clean hands also help missionaries stay healthy and prevent the spread of communicable diseases"

"Skin problems. Acne is a common teenage problem. Those with a severe acne problem should get help from a medical doctor well before entering the Missionary Training Center. Some acne medicines require monitoring over time and are not used in the mission field"

"Dental health. Prevention is the key to good dental health. This means a habit of brushing teeth at least morning and night, daily use of dental floss, and consistent visits to your dentist. Any required dental repair should be finished before the missionary recommendation is submitted. Orthodontic treatment—which often takes two years or more—must be completed before arrival at the MTC" (AND, we all know how long we often have to wait for dental appointments, so its better do get everything taken care of ASAP! You don't want to delay submitting your mission papers because you have to wait another 4 weeks for an appointment to get a cavity filled)

"Chronic health issues. Headaches are a common, difficult health problem that may worsen during missionary service and that can be difficult to evaluate and treat in the field. Occasional stomach and bowel problems may also become chronic during missionary service. Heart problems and breathing problems such as asthma should be thoroughly evaluated before missionaries begin service. With proper treatment, many health problems become controllable, making missionary service possible if treatment continues throughout the mission...Prospective missionaries (who have bone or joint issues) must obtain appropriate orthopedic care well in advance (four to six months) of entering missionary service. A young man or woman who arrives at the MTC on crutches two weeks after knee surgery will not be able to walk the distance required in the mission field"

"Immunizations. Those preparing to serve missions should obtain all available routine vaccinations and booster injections at appropriate ages. Well before beginning their missionary service, they should also receive any special immunizations required for the particular country where they will serve"

Dr. Donald B. Doty has written an excellent article about preparing for missionary service that includes information on both physical and mental health called "Missionary Health Preparation" that you can read on lds.org here. All quotes used in this blog post are from this article.  You can also find additional information on the church's official "Missionary Preparation - Physical and Emotional Health" page here.