A fitness guru Tony Horton thinks “mind-soothing and body-bending yoga” can combat the problem of obesity in the US military.

Stressing on the growth of the military’s obesity rate that nearly doubled since 2003, Horton called for introducing yoga into the military troops during a training session with about 200 people at the National Press Club in Washington.

According to Horton, the military’s obesity rate nearly tripled from1995 to 2008 alone, while the overall number of obese troops has grown from 1.6 percent in 1998 to 4.4 percent in 2008.

"The days of push ups, sit ups and long runs in the military are over," said Horton who has worked with the US soldiers at military bases for his fitness program “P90x”. Horton’s fitness combines equipment-free, body weight-based exercises with yoga postures.

Yoga can enhance the positive effects of strength and cardiovascular exercises, he explained, and it moistens the major joints and reduces the potential for injury.

"I know inclusion of yoga in military training sounds a tad alien,"Horton admitted. But the guru believes that yoga will help his mission to keep the military fit.