Postpartum mission-readiness for active duty new mothers using the Reveille app

Active-duty servicewomen in the Air Force face significant challenges in preparing for fitness assessments due to perinatal physiologic changes, resulting in a lack of mission readiness. These challenges encompass physical difficulties such as postpartum joint pain, muscle strength loss, and weight retention, as confirmed by various studies primarily conducted with civilian populations. Despite the prevalence of these issues, what is striking is the unpreparedness of servicewomen in addressing these problems, leading some to resort to extreme measures to meet fitness assessment requirements. Furthermore, the 6-month postpartum fitness assessment failure rate stands at a staggering 26.5%, a stark contrast to the pre-pregnancy failure rate of 5.9%. This data underscores the critical need for a tailored solution to support postpartum servicewomen in achieving mission readiness while addressing their unique mental, physical, and wellness challenges.