Captain Yashika Hatwal Tyagi, an Indian Army Veteran who served in the Kargil War, was among the first women posted to Leh and is now a keynote speaker and Warrior Mindset strategist. Her advice to women in their 40s and 50s: prepare your mind, build your body, know your purpose.
Where It Began for Capt. Yashika Tyagi
When did your pull towards the Army start?
Early. Growing up with my father in the Army, the uniform was familiar to me, but losing him early in life made me look at it with a certain longing. It represented not just him, but the values, discipline, and sense of purpose I had grown up seeing. That intrinsic pull took me towards NCC, where I got my first taste of discipline, camaraderie, and the responsibility that comes with wearing a uniform.
What drew me ultimately was not just the uniform, but the purpose behind it: being part of something larger than yourself and being trusted with responsibility.
What military habit can’t you shake, decades later?
Two: preparation and commitment. I instinctively prepare for all eventualities, and once I commit to something, I stay with it through the difficult parts.
The uniform comes off. The conditioning stays.
Under Pressure
You served during Kargil five months pregnant. What did your body actually need?
People look at it through the lens of courage. The reality was far more matter-of-fact. The Army is a large machine, with different parts performing different functions towards one objective. Logistics keeps that machine moving, ensuring troops at the front receive what they need, when they need it, from ammunition and fuel to rations and special cold-climate clothing for sub-zero temperatures.
There was simply no time or bandwidth to think of doing anything differently. Rest was a luxury and erratic. I ate whatever was cooked in the Officers’ Mess and Unit Langar, wore my combat uniform and heavy Army boots, and carried on. There was oedema, backache, acidity and sleeplessness. Some mornings were especially tough; high altitude and pregnancy brought splitting headaches and breathlessness. I would sit, catch my breath and get moving again.
There was no time to pamper the body. The mind completely took over the body. Military conditioning and commitment carried me through.
In 1997, you were among the first women posted to Leh. What did the Army get right, and wrong?
I don’t remember being given any special training or treatment simply because I was a woman. The preparation was for the human body confronting an extreme environment.
The Army got the most important thing right: acclimatisation was sacrosanct. On reaching high altitude, there was a mandatory four- to six-day period of rest, light meals and reduced physical activity, allowing the body to adjust to reduced oxygen. Headaches, nausea, breathlessness and loss of appetite were common initially, but gradually the body adapted. Once acclimatised, we returned to running, exercising and our usual physical training. Strangely, that routine itself created a sense of normalcy.
I wouldn’t call what we did then “wrong”; it was the best understanding available at the time. What has evolved is our understanding of women’s individual physiological needs. The standards need not change; our understanding of how we prepare women to meet them can.
Rebuilding, and Where She Is Now
After leaving the Army, did you ever feel “soft”? How did you rebuild?
I wouldn’t say I suddenly became soft. I was a young mother of two, and my days revolved around them. The physical and mental activity was intense, just very different from military life. What I missed was the structure the Army naturally gave my day.
As an Army family, moving every two years took us from the deserts of Rajasthan to the rainforests of Assam, the mountains of Himachal, and the valleys of Kashmir. Cantonments were often green, serene, and beautiful, and my morning walks became my time for peace, reflection, and fitness, while letting me discover the flora and fauna of each new place.
Gradually, morning walks extended into evenings; I added yoga, stretches, and strength training. Learning Zumba with a group of friends brought laughter and lighter moments. These little pockets of sunshine made fitness something I looked forward to.
Discipline has different seasons. Sometimes rebuilding yourself is simply creating a routine that makes you want to show up for yourself.
What does your training look like now?
At 54, fitness for me is not about proving what my body can endure; it is about having the capacity to live the life I have chosen. As a professional keynote speaker and Warrior Mindset strategist, my schedule involves hectic national and international travel, preparation, and deep research for sessions. That itself demands stamina, mobility, mental agility, and energy.
I aim for 10,000 steps every day, with strength training and cardio twice a week. When travelling, I use hotel gyms and swimming pools rather than letting travel disrupt my routine. I try to be consistent, not perfect.
And honestly, there is joy in the motivation too. I love dressing up in a saree and stepping onto a stage, feeling energetic and completely alive doing what I love. That happiness makes me want to look after my fitness, because I want to continue doing this for a long time.
The Warrior Mindset, Translated
What does military training teach women starting strength work in their 40s and 50s?
Prepare the mind before preparing the body. Before asking your body to do something difficult, believe that you are capable of learning it. Then prepare the body gradually before placing greater demands on it. The military does not condition a body overnight; it progressively builds capacity for the task ahead.
I would encourage women in their 40s and 50s to understand the purpose of their fitness rather than getting caught up in comparison or appearance. Eat lightly and sensibly, dress comfortably and functionally, and let your fitness serve your life. At this stage, quality of life and confidence matter far more than how you look.
Strength training should help you climb stairs without hesitation, travel with ease, carry your own bags, and feel confident in your own body.
Prepare the mind. Build the body. Know your purpose.
Does the warrior mindset show up in your own workouts? Is a hard set the same as being under fire?
Consistency is the name of the game. The aim of military training is not simply to make a soldier physically strong; it is to condition body and mind so thoroughly that, when the “zero hour” arrives, the right response becomes almost instinctive. Repetition creates muscle memory, confidence, and the ability to function under pressure.
I see the same principle in fitness. A consistent regimen builds stronger bones, stronger and more pliant muscles, balance, and physical reserves. These may seem unimportant on an ordinary day, but they matter enormously when life throws you a fall, an illness, or an unexpected physical demand.
A hard workout and being under fire are obviously not comparable. But the principle is the same: you don’t prepare when the crisis arrives. You prepare before it.
What do civilians romanticise about military discipline that they should skip?
Harsh training and the idea of pushing through everything. Military training has a very specific purpose. It builds camaraderie and team spirit, develops situational awareness and survival instincts, and prepares the mind and body to respond when circumstances are unpredictable and demanding. A soldier may have to accept life-and-death situations as a matter of fact, in the service of the nation.
Civilian life is different. We don’t need to replicate that hardship, but we can borrow the principles: be physically fit, mentally tough, make healthy choices, be a responsible citizen with civic sense, and take part meaningfully in nation-building.
Don’t copy the hardship; understand the purpose. Bring the discipline into the life you actually live.
What are the three non-negotiables of a “battle-ready” fitness philosophy for everyday women?
My three non-negotiables would be a prepared mind, a strong body, and a healthy environment.
A prepared mind means developing the confidence to face change, setbacks, and uncertainty without being overwhelmed by them. It is about staying curious, adaptable, and disciplined enough to keep showing up for yourself.
A strong body comes from consistent movement and exercise: building strength, stamina, balance, and flexibility so that the body remains capable and independent as we age.
And then there are the simple things we often underestimate: eat healthy, exercise regularly, sleep well, and spend time with people who uplift and challenge you positively. The company we keep influences our well-being more than we acknowledge.
For me, being battle-ready is not about living like a soldier. It is about creating a healthy mind, a capable body, and a supportive life, so that when life throws something unexpected at you, you are equipped to meet it.
Midlife, on Her Own Terms
How do you manage menopause? What has helped?
The first step is acceptance: accepting that menopause is here, and all that may come with it, without treating it as something to hide or apologise for. Information and conversation matter, especially with family and your life partner. When the people around you understand what you are experiencing, the journey becomes something you travel together rather than something you silently endure.
I exercise consistently: morning and evening walks, strength training, swimming, yoga and Zumba. I am regular with health supplements such as calcium, zinc and multivitamins, and I enjoy experimenting with organic teas: hibiscus, peppermint, chamomile and jasmine. I eat sensibly and lightly, while still allowing myself the occasional ice cream or dessert!
I also share my experiences with humour and in a light-hearted manner. I haven’t approached menopause as a battle to be won. I see it as another stage of life to understand, adapt to, and live fully through.
How should women handle everyday stress across the changes of midlife?
At this stage of life, I am less interested in managing life and more interested in discovering it. I feel as though I am running the last 100 metres of a marathon, giving it everything I have, but also enjoying the run.
Stress cannot always be solved by working harder. Sometimes the answer is to laugh with my sisters and friends until tears flow, talk endlessly with my mother and relive old memories, take a road trip and discover life with my daughter-in-law, or discuss and learn something new from my sons. And perhaps most importantly, I share a love-filled, best-friend relationship with my husband.
That is what I would tell women my age: discover the parts of yourself that life may have kept waiting. Don’t take life too seriously. Every day is a gift, and, if we can, we should try to make it a gift for someone else too.
Work That Mattered for Capt. Yashika Tyagi
What pulled you towards healthcare leadership and education for differently abled children?
Moving every two years with an Army officer husband meant that my career graph was never conventional. Multiple postings across our great nation exposed me to different places, people, and professional trajectories. I picked up multiple jobs along the way, sometimes by choice and sometimes because circumstances left little choice. But I never stopped working, and I never saw these transitions as something to complain about. I kept an open mind, learning, absorbing, and evolving with every new experience.
When we were posted to Assam, a newly launched Ministry of Defence healthcare project allowed me to use my experience in logistics and military administration to execute a policy on the ground, from scratch, in counter-insurgency areas. Later, while being posted to Bihar, I became Principal of an Army-run Asha School for differently abled children. I initially saw it as an administrative responsibility, but it became the most satisfying and soulful work I have ever done.
These are just two examples from a career shaped by many such transitions. Looking back, that diversity has been my greatest education and has shaped the person I am today.