Blake Hall
Military service isn’t for the faint of heart. The physical rigors of boot camp alone are enough to send recruits crying home to their mothers. Service members who enter infantry or special forces training can expect even more grueling physical activity.
Business INSIDER’s list of the 27 most physically active civilian jobs in America didn’t include anything related to the military due to a lack of data, but it does offer plenty of options for veterans who miss that day-to-day physical challenge.
The list only used data collected by the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), a database for the U.S. Department of Labor. There’s no data about military jobs because that information is owned by the U.S. Department of Defense.
The O*NET database rates the physical rigor of various jobs on a 1 to 100 scale by dynamic strength, explosive strength, time spent walking or running, stamina, and trunk strength.
These the 7 are the most physically active civilian jobs in the United States. Would you or a veteran in your life explore these occupations?
7) Athletes
The likes of Michael Phelps and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson weren’t born muscular. From competitive swimming and running to hockey and wrestling, athletes from every sport must constantly stay in their top form in order to succeed. Physical activity score: 55.2.
6) Fence Erectors
That fence won’t build itself. Someone has to haul the materials and wield the power tools that put it together. It adds up to some pretty physically strenuous work. Physical activity score: 55.4.
5) Forest Firefighters
It’s up to these first responders to quell and control raging wildfires that threaten to destroy forests and communities. There’s already a lot of overlap between this occupation and the military. Team Rubicon USA, a veteran-founded nonprofit, trains military veterans to be firefighters and deploys them in disaster areas. Physical activity score: 55.6.
4) Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers
These workers spend long hours reinforcing heavy materials such as concrete and steel with handheld tools. Physical activity score: 57.6.
3) Structural Iron and Steel Workers
This job includes all of the workers that make sure buildings are structurally sound and safe. They lift and place iron and steel beams, providing a valuable, if not taxing, service in the construction industry. Physical activity score: 60.
2) Fitness Trainers
The men and women who help you stay fit can count themselves among the second-most physically active group in America. When they aren’t talking you through your workout or leading group exercise classes, fitness trainers are probably hitting the gym in their spare time. Physical activity score: 62.
1) Dancers
This profession has an activity score of 75.2 out of 100, blowing every other job out of the water. The reasons dancers top this list over other jobs is because of the stamina and dynamic strength required to carry out hours of practice and performance.
Are you a military veteran who actually did go into one of these civilian jobs? Let us know your thoughts!