we are told everyone is to be super-fit or you are out.
Level 9 is not super fit. It's far from it.
Here's an article that shows what professional sportsmen and women can get, even Springbok prop forwards can get to 11.5
Beep Test Score Results
it's interesting to see some clubs have a minimum standard.
If you regularly did cardio... every week... all year round, then level 9 is easy to achieve.
The same employer that sees me and others pull 20-30 hour working days on a regular basis, with all the negative health effects that entails.
I always found it ironic that we are to be fit, yet I've seen some pretty unhealthy food served in messes. Now it's PAYD I have been informed by someone in the know that they are banking on people eating chips and beans, as chips and beans have the lowest cost to the contractor. Eating unhealthy is cheaper. When eating in the mess turned into "hunt for the chicken, in your chicken curry" I stopped going.
Go for a wee jog every day, anything between 2 to 4 miles, if that starts to get boring then
20 to 25 minutes per day is what I've seen recommended. Beginners shouldn't worry about speed or distance just yet, just concentrate for how long you are running for. If you're unfit use interval training, where you run for a minute then recover by walking for 90 secs, repeat several times. Then gradually extend the run for a bit longer every week as you get used to it.
As for getting bored, I combat this by rarely running the same route in succession, I try to run as many varied routes as I can.
RAF pension once you leave
By being fit, when I retire I'm really going to get my monies worth. Payback for every time they f*cked us around.
The best quote I heard "You don't see any fat 70 year olds".