An introduction to lifestyle medicine prescribing in veterans

26 February 2026 - Dr Nazha Nazeem

Why lifestyle prescribing matters in veteran care

Lifestyle medicine prescribing reframes the behaviour change related to the fundamentals of good health as a structured, evidence-based clinical intervention – planned, written, and reviewed – similar to pharmacotherapy.

For veterans, this structured approach can be particularly powerful. Military service often reinforces structure, routine, and goal-based performance. Lifestyle prescriptions that are clear, collaborative, and time-limited can restore a sense of agency while remaining trauma-informed and patient-centred.

What is a lifestyle medicine prescription?

A lifestyle prescription is a documented, individualised plan targeting one or two priority lifestyle domains with:

a defined dose (what, how often, how long)
an agreed outcome measure
a review date

Rather than addressing all six pillars at once, prioritising the domains most closely linked to the veteran’s presenting problems – commonly sleep, physical activity, nutrition, alcohol use, stress, or social connection – may lead to improved compliance.

Service-informed prescribing principles

Veterans may respond best to interventions that mirror military values of routine, teamwork, capability, and performance. In line with health coaching principles, lifestyle prescriptions can be framed as a focused plan with clear objectives, defined timeframes, and scheduled reviews.

Using veteran levers such as structure, peer support, and a high-performance mindset, GPs can position themselves as team leaders coordinating care alongside allied health and DVA programs. For example, with the right supports, veterans seem to be better able to resume exercise compared to the general population.

Lifestyle prescriptions can also be catered to the specifics of a veteran’s service history. For example, a veteran who spent years in a highly physically demanding role (eg, infantry, clearance diver, Airfield Defence Guard) may warrant a different approach than a veteran with a less physically demanding service history. A veteran who spent many years having meals supplied in a barracks environment may have different needs in relation to meal planning and preparation to a veteran who was self-catered.

A person’s experience of trauma can have an impact in the development or maintenance of certain conditions and should be considered in treatment. The relevance of trauma is likely to differ based on the individual, their concerns, and the type of trauma experienced.

When creating a lifestyle prescription, consider that this is a behavioural change intervention that has to be immediately relevant to that person at that time. Change can take some time to occur, but clinicians can have a strong impact in motivating veterans to engage from a position of where they are at, regardless of how far they feel they may be from where they want to be. Suggestions to maximise participation include:

psychoeducation on where they are in the behavioural change cycle and using motivational interviewing techniques to reinforce ongoing efforts to engage in change
emphasising that everything is driven by the patient themselves, especially choice around what to do, and how much to do
ensuring the prescription is suitable for the individual and their circumstances, and barriers have been addressed
avoiding ‘all-or-nothing’ targets
framing change as capability-building and returning to better functioning
anticipating pain flares, fatigue, or symptom exacerbation
planning for and reframing ‘failure’

Lifestyle prescriptions should be positioned as part of the treatment armamentarium, explicitly talking about supporting, not replacing other appropriate evidence based psychological or medical interventions.

Practical examples in general practice

Physical activity:
“Walk for 10 minutes after breakfast on five days per week for two weeks. If pain flares, reduce duration by 50% rather than stopping. Or try splitting the activity into two sessions, instead of one longer one."
- Outcome measure: minutes/week completed activity vs barriers such as pain flare frequency
Sleep:
"Sleep hygiene and routine focus: fixed wake time of 6:30am daily regardless of how much sleep you had; no daytime naps; turn screens off at 9pm and be in bed to unwind by 10pm for 14 days.”
- Outcome measure: Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)
Nutrition:
“Add two serves of vegetables to evening meal at least five days/week for four weeks. Remember to try to eat as much whole foods (unprocessed) as possible. Look for examples of recipes from the Mediterranean diet or similar.”
- Outcome measure: serves of vegetables a day
Alcohol:
“Cut down from six to four standard drinks on drinking days, with at least three alcohol-free days/week.”
- Outcome measure: drinks/week

Using systems to support prescriptions

Lifestyle prescriptions can be embedded within existing systems where possible. The Veterans’ Health Check (VHC) and VETERANS Lens provides structured entry points for risk stratification and goal setting. For more information on the VHC in practice see here.

The DVA allied health treatment cycle enables referral to dietitians, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, psychologists, and social workers to support prescriptions over time.

For veterans with chronic disease or complex multimorbidity, the Coordinated Veterans’ Care (CVC) program can help integrate lifestyle prescriptions into multidisciplinary management.

Reviewing and adjusting

Lifestyle prescriptions should usually be reviewed at four to six weeks. Challenges to achieving progress can be explored and addressed with potential need for dose adjustment and reframing of goals. To enable continuity of progress, consider documenting outcomes, focusing on gains, and discussing the next steps in the veteran’s care.

Practical strategies

Ensure the goal is achievable within the individual’s specific circumstances eg, caring and work responsibilities, finances, relationships, introvert/extrovert, morning person/night owl.
Focus on function rather than targets
Goals framed around meaningful activities (eg, walking with a partner, returning to hobbies) are more engaging than abstract metrics.
Negotiate achievable goals
Small, incremental changes reduce the risk of failure and disengagement.
Integrate lifestyle medicine into chronic disease care
Lifestyle interventions can be embedded within existing management plans rather than presented as additional tasks.
Leverage veteran-specific supports
Where appropriate, referral to eligible DVA-funded allied health services such as exercise physiology, dietetics, or psychology to support multidisciplinary care. This extends to psychosocial supports such as veteran peer groups.

Reflective practice

Consider a veteran in your practice with cardiometabolic disease and chronic pain. Which single lifestyle domain, if addressed first, might most improve their daily function and overall health?

References  

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2023). Health of veterans 2023. Available at: https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/44c58b09-5753-4919-b4fd-f44d404727f2/aihw-phe-304-health-of-veterans-2023.pdf. (last accessed Feb 2026).
Boulter, M. K., Holland, T. J., Blackadder-Weinstein, J., et al. Social prescribing in the military: Is it time to embrace a change? BMJ Military Health. 2024;170, 451–453.
Brockett, C. L., Stansen, C., Bourke, M., Pascoe, M., Clements, M., & Parker, A. G. Factors that influence mental health and well-being of high-performance athletes transitioning out of elite sport: A mixed methods approach. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. 2024;10, e001991.
Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Defence and Veteran Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025–2030. 2022. Available at: https://www.defence.gov.au/about/strategic-planning/defence-veteran-mental-health-wellbeing-strategy-2025-2030. (last accessed Feb 2026).
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Smoking, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity (SNAP): A population health guide to behavioural risk factors in general practice. 2015. Available at: https://www.racgp.org.au/clinical-resources/clinical-guidelines/key-racgp-guidelines/view-all-racgp-guidelines/snap. (last accessed Feb 2026).
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. (2022). Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice (10th ed.). Available at: RACGP - Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice. (last accessed Feb 2026).
Zhao, F., Liu, C., & Lin, Z. A narrative review of exercise intervention mechanisms for post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans. Frontiers in Public Health. 2025;12:1483077.

Claim CPD

Dr Nazha Nazeem

Dr Nazha Nazeem is a General Practitioner based in Melbourne, Victoria, with a dynamic footprint in medical education—especially supporting International Medical Graduates (IMGs) transitioning into Australian General Practice. After earning her MD from the University of Melbourne in 2018, she completed her Fellowship with the RACGP and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Lifestyle Medicine at James Cook University.

She is passionate about crafting learner-centred educational experiences that are practical, relevant, and supportive—ensuring education translates into real-life practice.

Related Tags

veterans-health general-practice

Related Categories

gp-update general practice lifestyle-medicine

Get Medcast Plus

Become a member and get unlimited access to 100s of hours of premium education.

Learn more