Page 88 - JSOM Fall 2023

FIGURE 1 Domains of Total Force Fitness. attention. The group, in this definition, is being acted upon by
that individual, and not the other way around. Another defi-
nition establishes social fitness as “the degree to which you
assess, build, and optimize the relationships and interactions
you have with others.” The focal point of this definition is
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again the individual, and the role or impact of the group on the
individual remains unattended.
The United States Special Operations Command’s Preserva-
tion of the Force and Family (POTFF) program broadens the
definition of social fitness to include Servicemembers and their
families. The POTFF defines social fitness as “The social and
family domain is designed to strengthen the social and fam-
ily health and performance of SOF [Special Operation Forces]
Servicemembers and their families by providing relevant fam-
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ily programs.” The inclusion of the Servicemember’s family
indicates a perceived role for them, as well as a possible need
for family support. Family is a critical source of social support
for Servicemembers, but it only represents one of many factors
in the matrix of social domain.

Each of these social fitness definitions designates an ability or
degree to which one takes action around relationships with
and has yet to be developed as a prime target for programs others (Table 1). What all of these definitions have in common
and interventions. The social domain is interwoven into other is that they fix the focus of social fitness on the individual and
domains in significant ways, and this lack of clarity may un- are therefore largely egocentric. As a result, the social environ-
dermine a Servicemember’s ability to achieve optimal fitness in ment and its possible impact or influence on the individual
other TFF domains. Whether it is the nutritional, financial, or goes largely unaccounted for. When social fitness is defined as
even spiritual domain, social fitness will effectively support the an individual attribute, the individual as the receptor of social
development of fitness in other domains. To address this gap fitness, or the social environment as the focus of social fit-
in TFF, this article outlines the various definitions of social fit- ness, cannot be fully established. In Why Total Force Fitness?,
ness within the military. Challenges and the current knowledge the authors modify the definition toward a shared experience
gaps in the understanding of social fitness, as delineated in the when they acknowledge that “social fitness is multidimen-
military, will also be described. Common interventions char- sional and includes friends and family, recreation, religion,
acterizing social fitness will then be explored. Finally, future and hobbies, as well as bosses and peers.” More attention is
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directions and opportunities to improve and further integrate needed regarding this aspect of social fitness in view of its im-
social fitness into human performance efforts will be outlined. plications for the social domain, and for the TFF framework
as a whole.
Definitions of Social Fitness
TABLE 1 Definitions of Social Fitness
When the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) issued Source Social Fitness Definition
instructions formalizing the TFF framework in 2011, social
fitness was defined as “the ability to engage in healthy social CJCSI 3504.01 The ability to engage in healthy social networks
that promote overall well-being and optimal
networks that promote overall well-being and optimal per- performance. 1
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formance.” According to the CJCSI, social fitness operates MHS & DHA The ability to engage in productive personal and
simultaneously among individuals, families, units, and com- professional relationships, positively interact with
munities, and identifies individual’s social fitness as the foun- unit and command networks, and use resources
dational component for achieving fitness at all other levels. that promote overall well-being. 4
Nonetheless, social fitness is described as an individual attri- HPRC The degree to which you assess, build, and
bute, an ability developed and exercised by Servicemembers. optimize the relationships and interactions you
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have with others.
Accordingly, success in developing individual social fitness
has a cascading impact and generates ripples away from the POTFF The social and family domain is designed to
strengthen the social and family health and
individual center. However, Coulter and colleagues point out performance of SOF Servicemembers and their
that individual fitness is not an accurate indicator of group families by providing relevant family programs. 6
fitness because the whole is in fact greater than the sum of CJCSI = Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; MHS = Military Health
its parts. In a military context, group fitness is as important Service; DHA = Defense Health Agency; HPRC = Human Performance
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as an individual’s fitness, which should be reflected in defini- Resources by CHAMP; POTFF = Preservation of the Force and Fam-
tions of social fitness. The Health.mil website defines social ily; SOF = Special Operations Forces.
fitness as “the ability to engage in productive personal and Social Fitness Challenges
professional relationships, positively interact with unit and
command networks, and use resources that promote overall Social fitness is most often characterized as a self-modifiable
well-being,” suggesting that social fitness can be strengthened trait, and frequently confused with dimensions of psycho-
through direct practice and intentional exercise. Here again, it logical and spiritual well-being. Current definitions suggest
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is the practicing and intentional individual who is the focus of that it is an individual trait, which should be developed and

86 | JSOM Volume 23, Edition 3 / Fall 2023