Prince Harry is continuing to support causes near and dear to his heart.
On Monday, the Duke of Sussex launched a new initiative called HeadFIT for Life. The online platform offers an array of tools to “help defense people stay mentally fit and on top of their game…at work and at home.”
“Today, when we talk about fitness, we don’t just mean how fast you can run or how much weight you can carry,” Harry said in a video shared to the organization’s website. “This is about mental fitness, strength and resilience—not just while wearing the uniform but for the rest of your life. If you want to be truly fit, strong and healthy, you need to train your mind and body as one. Some people run, others swim, cycle or lift weights in order to be physically fit, but what do you do to stay mentally fit? Think about what you could do to unlock your potential and to perform at the highest level.”
The program is supported by the Ministry of Defence and by The Royal Foundation’s Heads Together initiative. In fact, according to a statement obtained by People, HeadFIT has been about three years in the making. As fans will recall, The Royal Foundation and the Ministry of Defence announced their intent to launch a joint initiative that supports mental health and wellbeing back in October 2017.
“HeadFIT is a resource for everyone—whatever your job, whatever your rank, whatever you’ve got going on at home,” Prince Harry later added. “Our service personnel are vital role models in society, and we need you to be able to access that extra 10 maybe 15 percent—something that can only be attained when you adopt a regular routine for training the mind and the body as one single unit. I know this to be true. It works for me.”
The initiative should come as no surprise to royal admirers. After all, Harry served in the British Army for 10 years and has met with veterans to discuss the importance of mental health for years. He also launched the Invictus Games—which, according to its website uses the “power of sport to inspire recover, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who serve their country”—in 2014.
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In addition, he launched Heads Together—The Royal Foundation’s campaign that aims to end stigmas around mental health— along with Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2016. Meghan Markle also joined The Royal Foundation after marrying Prince Harry in 2018. However, the two stepped back from the Foundation last summer. What’s more, Prince Harry is working with Oprah Winfrey to create a new mental health series for Apple.
HeadFIT is one of the first major projects Prince Harry has launched since officially stepping back as a senior member of the royal family along with the Duchess of Sussex earlier this month. Meghan has also been busy. She narrated the Disneynature documentary Elephant. In addition, the couple are continuing to raise their son Archie Harrison and announced their plans to form a nonprofit organization called Archwell.