Base leaders, specialists urge civilians to maintain wellness momentum

  • Published
  • By Chuck Paone
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Keep the momentum going. 

That's the main message base leaders and health, wellness and fitness specialists have for Hanscom's civilian workforce. Several months into a civilian wellness initiative instituted by 66th Air Base Wing Commander Col. Dave 'Iron' Orr, some positive trends have emerged. 

"Please accept my thanks to the hundreds of Hanscom civilians who have 'sustained the pace' with a physical wellness program," said Colonel Orr. 

"It's not too late for Hanscom members who have not yet taken the Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) and established a plan," he said. "I've had four thank you letters from Hanscom civilians who took the HRA survey and follow-on Cardiac Risk Assessment and learned they had potentially life-threatening health conditions. They are now taking advantage of all the great base resources to help improve their wellness lifestyle. Remember, it's not about your ability to do the mission today; rather my focus is on you being with us 40-50 years from now, enjoying time with family and friends in a fun retirement." 

Deanne Casey, RN, a Civilian Health Promotion Services nurse coordinator who works out of Hanscom's Health and Wellness Center, nearly tripled her business in the first quarter of calendar year 2009. Ms. Casey, who conducted 60 cardiac risk profiles in the last quarter of 2008, conducted 168 from January to March. 

"We've definitely seen a rise in the number of people who have been getting their cardiac risk profiles done," said Ms. Casey, who administers the 15-minuite blood pressure and finger-stick testing at Hanscom. "Civilians and active-duty participants have also been going online to fill out their Health Risk Assessments at a much higher rate. Several civilians have made improvements in their lifestyle and are enjoying a lower total cholesterol result." 

HRAs are done online at www.afmcwellness.com and take less than 10 minutes to complete. 

"I believe the warmer outside temperatures will motivate additional civilians to walk for exercise," Ms. Casey added, noting that the wellness website offers a log for participants to track their steps." 

Fitness specialists, at both the HAWC and the Fitness and Sports Center, have also seen some positive trends. 

Jerry Turnbow, who runs the Fitness Center, said that, while the number of new accounts hasn't risen sharply, existing center users have been coming more frequently. He also noted that more people are coming in for initial fitness assessments, which provide "a baseline fitness level" for those looking to begin or enhance a workout routine. 

"The assessment is a great thing to take advantage of, because it lets you see where you are and determine what areas you need to improve in," Mr. Turnbow said. 

At the HAWC, exercise physiologist Dale Bennett has responded to an influx of civilians requesting fitness consultations by starting a class called 'Get FITT,' which he offers three times a month. FITT stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type, standard parlance used by exercise physiologists to help people plan and measure their physical activity. 

"In the classes, we go over all the information that people would get in initial individual consultations, so they can build their own programs," Mr. Bennett said. "We cover all the basic components - cardio-vascular, strength, flexibility and body composition." He also covers proper hydration, basic nutrition and bio-mechanics, teaching people how to limit the risk of over-use injuries. 

"Then we can use the individual sessions to help people who really have specific needs or who have hit plateaus in their exiting routines," he said. 

Fitness Center staff members also extol the benefits of class participation and note that they've had increases in several, including yoga classes and the wildly popular rock climbing. 

Center specialist Bill Anderson, who leads the rock climbing classes, said it's important for people to branch out and try different things. Variety of activity helps them work different muscle groups and avoid the boredom that can accompany repetition. 

He also spoke about the value of group activities, such as the Team Lean Challenge and the upcoming Hanscom Olympics. Scheduled from May 11 through 21, the base Olympic events will feature more than a dozen team (and some individual) competitions to be held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Mr. Anderson and Mr. Turnbow also noted that spring and summer weather invariably brings some indoor exercisers outside, which they say is fine. At the same time, it's important to remember to keep strength training in the mix. 

"This is important for everyone, and particularly important for women," Mr. Turnbow said, noting that weight training can help prevent bone density loss that leads to osteoporosis. 

While the result of an exercise routine - better health - is what's most important, the base specialists agree that it's also important for people to find enjoyment in the activities themselves. Otherwise many people just won't stay with their program. 

The best exercise, said Mr. Bennett, "is the one that you'll do."