Health
Memorial Day ‘Murph’: Could you complete this military fitness challenge?
Memorial Day is for remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
As Americans honor the day in their own ways, people across the country will be participating in a tough fitness challenge honoring fallen Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy.
The challenge, known as “the Murph,” consists of a variety of strength training and cardio activities, which Murphy himself used to complete during SEAL training.
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Murphy’s former SEAL roommate, Kaj Larsen, told Fox News Digital how he also participated in these workouts, which have turned into a national movement of patriotism.
“Murph and I would often run to the pull-up bars and then do this workout where we did 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups and 300 air squats, and then we’d run back to our barracks room,” Larsen said.
Lt. Michael P. Murphy, shown at right in a photo from Afghanistan, did “the Murph” workout while in SEAL training. (U.S. Navy via Getty Images; iStock)
“The total run was about a mile to the pull-up bars and a mile back, and this became one of Murph’s favorite workouts.”
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Murphy would often wear his body armor as a challenge, originally calling the workout “Body Armor.”
Now, tens of thousands of people on Memorial Day complete “the Murph.”
Murphy, left, of New York and Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson of California sit in Afghanistan on June 8, 2005. Murphy and Axelson were assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and were killed by enemy forces during a reconnaissance mission, Operation Red Wing, on June 28, 2005. (U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
“It’s a really beautiful way to honor him,” Larsen said. “Murph would have loved the idea of thousands of people sacrificing through sweat. That was right up his alley.”
He added, “He loved working out. And I think he’s smiling down on us as he sees us all doing one of his favorite workouts.”
“Murph would have loved the idea of thousands of people sacrificing through sweat.”
The classic Murph consists of the following exercises, in order or broken up:
- one-mile run
- 100 pull-ups
- 200 push-ups
- 300 air squats
- another one-mile run
Murphy and Larsen would often do the workout with a 20-pound weighted vest, which is optional.
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For those looking to attempt the Murph this Memorial Day, Larsen said there is “no one way” to do it.
While some people train all year for the Murph, modifications are acceptable.
This can include partitioning the reps of push-ups, pull-ups and squats into sets, or subbing out pull-ups for jumping pull-ups or assisted pull-ups with a band. The runs can also be walked, Larsen noted.
While some people train all year for the Murph, modifications are acceptable. (iStock)
“The point is to do something hard that challenges yourself in recognition and honor of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” he said. “And if you do that, you have done the Murph.”
Act of heroism
Larsen, currently head of military investing and communications at Siebert.Valor, the military arm of Siebert Financial, spent 13 years in Naval Special Warfare as a SEAL and left the military at the rank of lieutenant commander.
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The veteran spent his rookie years with Murphy, who joined through Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL Training (BUDS) in 2001.
SEAL Officer Murphy, the son of a New York firefighter who is originally from Long Island, was part of a team that specialized in long distance and special reconnaissance.
SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy sits on the ground in Afghanistan on May 20, 2005. Murphy was part of a team that specialized in long distance and special reconnaissance. (U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
In 2005, during his first combat deployment to Afghanistan, Murphy was part of Operation Red Wings, designed to go after a senior-level Taliban operative, Larsen described.
The operation has been memorialized as one of the greatest losses in Naval Special Warfare history.
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Murphy’s team was compromised, overwhelmed by superior forces as a firefight broke out. There were no survivors except for one SEAL, Marcus Luttrell.
A Quick Reaction Force (QRF) helicopter with eight SEALs flew in to support the SEALs on the ground, Larsen said.
Navy veteran Marcus Luttrell, at right, wrote the book “Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10.” (Michael P. Farrell/Albany Times Union via Getty Images; Nick de la Torre/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
This helicopter arrived due to Murphy’s moment of heroism, where he exposed himself to “excessive enemy fire” to reach radio communication, Larsen recalled.
“He got up on top of a boulder, which was the only place that he could make comms to call in the quick reaction force,” he said. “This ended up saving the life of Marcus Luttrell.”
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“Mike was killed on June 28, 2005, in Afghanistan. They identified him in part because underneath his uniform, he was wearing a New York Fire Department T-shirt – FDNY T-Shirt – as a tribute to his dad, Daniel Murphy.”
Murphy received the Medal of Honor for his actions that day, and the U.S. Navy commissioned a battleship named the USS Michael Murphy.
Operation Red Wings has since been immortalized in a book by Marcus Luttrell and in the movie “Lone Survivor” starring Mark Wahlberg.
A museum in Murphy’s honor was also built in his hometown of West Sayville, New York.
“The Murph is hard, and it’s designed to be hard.”
Murphy’s workout was also picked up after his death by the CrossFit community, which turned it into a “massive cultural movement,” Larsen said.
“The Murph is hard, and it’s designed to be hard,” he added.
“And I, for one, just appreciate everybody continuing to keep Murph and other soldiers like him who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in their hearts and in their minds.”
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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