The Army is expanding its new all-around health and fitness program, which includes professional civilian staffing, workout gear and more, to all soldiers rather than only combat brigades.

Army Vice Chief of Staff James Mingus told soldiers at the Maneuver Warfighter Conference at Fort Moore, Georgia, on Wednesday that the Holistic Health and Fitness program, also called H2F, will roll out across the entire force.

The program was showing too much benefit to be used only by the combat arms brigades, according to the four-star.

“It is an Army program, and it is making a huge difference on how our soldiers are performing out there,” Mingus said.

The Army launched a pilot H2F program in late 2018 and began equipping combat arms brigades with full complements of gym equipment and H2F staff, including physical therapists, dietitians, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches and cognitive performance specialists, in 2020.

The program’s holistic approach addresses five domains: physical, spiritual, mental, sleep and nutrition.

The original plan called for the service to outfit all 110 combat arms brigades by 2030. Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George announced last year that the Army would speed up fielding by increasing the annual number of brigades from 10 to 15. The fully resourced program had reached 50 brigades this year, including some military police, medical, engineer and sustainment brigades, according to Army data.

Mingus didn’t share specifics or timelines on the rollout, which will require more funding from Congress. But he advised leaders to begin work in their units now.

“A lot of our formations still don’t have it but there are things you can do,” Mingus said. “I would challenge you to study what is the essence of how you assess the program and execute functional fitness, nutrition, sleep.”

The Center for Initial Military Training, or CIMT, at Fort Eustis, Virginia, launched the Holistic Health and Fitness website in late August. The site contains information on all aspects of the program such as unit resources, the H2F Academy and the command’s annual H2F Symposium.

“We wanted to develop a website that provides tools for soldiers to help them take a hard look at themselves and really assess their personal health and fitness while also providing resources from subject matter experts so they can improve in all five readiness domains,” Lt. Gen. David Francis, CIMT commander, said in a statement.

Francis described the H2F program as the “largest human performance optimization project ever fielded.”

The program’s top priority since its inception has been reducing physical injuries among soldiers during deployment and training. Francis touted the results.

“The initial return on investment shows H2F will pay for itself as it decreases musculoskeletal injuries, reduces non-deployables, and helps soldiers who do get injured return to duty faster,” Francis said.

Early data released by CIMT in April showed H2F-resourced brigades saw a 23% higher increase in Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) passing rates, along with other performance and behavior improvements.

Behavior and performance data from H2F-resourced brigades compared with non-resourced brigades demonstrated:

• 14% lower increase* in musculoskeletal injuries = 6,489 fewer injured soldiers.
• 30% lower increase in musculoskeletal injuries lasting more than 90 days = 3,002 fewer injured soldiers on profile for more than 90 days.
• 22% lower increase in behavioral health reports = 2,962 fewer soldiers on behavioral health profiles.
• 20% lower increase in behavioral health reports lasting more than 90 days = 3,002 fewer soldiers on behavioral health profiles greater than 90 days.
• 502% lower increase in substance abuse profiles = 13,947 fewer soldiers on substance abuse profiles.
• 23% greater Army combat fitness test passing rate = 4,455 more soldiers passing the ACFT.
• 27% more soldiers reaching expert on rifle marksmanship qualification = 88,000 more soldiers receiving expert rifle marksmanship qualification.

*Brigades analyzed, both with and without H2F teams, saw increases in most areas from 2021–2023, but those units with H2F teams saw significantly lower increases in all categories.

Source: Center for Initial Military Training

As the Army implements the program across the force, the active-duty combat arms brigades remain a priority, with the Army National Guard and Army Reserve likely waiting longer for resources.

However, the new website can help fill those gaps in the meantime, Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Rice, an Army Reserve H2F system developer, said in a statement.

“It’s a vital tool in our shared mission to ensure that every investment made in our Soldiers is an investment in a better, more capable version of themselves,” Rice said.

At Wednesday’s conference, the vice chief praised his experience with a precursor program that used similar principles when he served the 75th Ranger Regiment. That program, known as the Ranger Athlete Warrior Program, emerged in the early 2000s to decrease injuries in the notoriously demanding unit.

Mingus carried a version of that program with him when he assumed command of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, at Fort Carson, Colorado, he said.

The program prepared his soldiers to perform in some of the roughest terrain during demanding missions during their 2012 deployment to Afghanistan, according to the general.

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She isn’t the only person who has turned to a mini stepper to get some extra steps in at home. On TikTok, hundreds of videos show seasoned fitfluencers and newbies alike bouncing up and down on their steppers. Some people, like Pavina, use their steppers in front of the TV; others, like TikTok creator @therealjasminer, bring them outside to soak up some sun while they step. One creator, @kassiemuse, even turns her stepping sessions into mini dance parties. And there’s a wealth of free stepper-exercise routines on YouTube if you want guidance.

The mini stair stepper is just the latest in at-home workout gear, a successor to the under-desk treadmills and walking pads that took over everyone’s feeds during the pandemic. At its most basic, the mini stepper is a stationary machine with two pedals that move up and down to mimic the motion of climbing stairs. It’s similar to the exercise you’d get from walking on a StairMaster or an elliptical, as it engages a variety of lower-body and core muscles, offering a low-impact workout that gets your heart pumping. But its particular appeal, in contrast to traditional home workout equipment, is that this machine comes in a compact package and is a fraction of the price. Most of the mini steppers trending online cost anywhere from $50 to $90.

The low barrier to entry for the mini stepper can be especially appealing to folks who are just starting their fitness journeys, according to certified personal trainer Kelsey Ellis. Such a machine can remove many of the barriers that deter newbies from exercising—like “gymtimidation,” the anxiety that some people feel from working out in front of others at a gym. Steppers are also especially convenient, allowing you to move your body at home without having to push the pause button on your favorite TV show.

They’re not a one-stop shop for fitness, though, and Ellis recommends incorporating other types of exercise, such as strength and agility training, to round out your workouts if you’re able. Still, “any movement is better than no movement,” she said.

Convenience was one of the main benefits that convinced Pavina to buy her own mini stepper. “It’s not something you have to carve out time for,” she told me over the phone while simultaneously using the stepper, proving her point. “If you go to the gym, you have to factor in driving time and time you spend waiting your turn for the equipment. This is literally in my living room.”

The low price was also a big motivator. “I told my husband, if I can use this and walk around Disney without getting out of breath, then we don’t need a gym membership,” she said. Between the cost of a gym membership and the childcare they would need while at the gym, Pavina finds the stepper a better alternative. “To be honest, I would rather spend that money at Disney,” she added.

Most steppers available online—including the Niceday Stair Stepper, which many fitfluencers are, ahem, peddling on TikTok—allow you to adjust the pedal resistance to change the intensity of your workout. Lower resistance makes the pedals easier to move, which is a good option for endurance training. Turning up the resistance makes stepping more challenging and elevates your heart rate faster. Some steppers trending on social media, such as the Sportsroyals Stair Stepper, have pedals that twist from side to side in addition to moving up and down, which can add another level of difficulty to the workout.

If you’re interested in buying your own, personal trainer Ellis recommends first checking the weight capacity. The Niceday Stair Stepper and the Sportsroyals Stair Stepper, the two steppers that are most common on TikTok, have a weight limit of 300 and 330 pounds, respectively. But other steppers have higher weight limits, such as the Keppi Fitness FitStep500 (350-pound limit) and the Noaovo Stair Stepper (400-pound limit).

And if you’re consistent, using a stepper really can make a difference. Pavina has been using her mini stepper for almost a year now, and she finds that it has been instrumental in her personal fitness journey. When she started using the stepper, she averaged 500 steps per session; now, she can sometimes walk 2,000 steps before she tires. And because of her success with the stepper, she opted to post it on her own Amazon-affiliate storefront—continuing the influence cycle of the mini stepper.

This article was edited by Hannah Rimm, Catherine Kast, and Maxine Builder.