Hanscom offers comprehensive health and fitness programs for civilian wellness

  • Published
  • By Meredith March
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Beginning a new year and making resolutions inspires many Americans to recommit to better health and fitness. Often, however, individuals require help in sustaining the motivation necessary for achieving these goals.

At Hanscom, base leaders have launched a new holistic program designed to help civilian personnel live healthier lives. The program will combine specific events and activities with a renewed push for utilization of existing programs and resources.

Wellness must become a top priority in the Hanscom community, said 66th Air Base Wing Commander Col. Dave 'Iron' Orr.

"While mission productivity is important, my biggest focus is on your long-term health and your future," he said. "Every day, I observe many cases of civilian employees who do their jobs quite well, but their overall health is declining significantly. We can combat this decline with programs tailored to the fitness, nutrition and stress management needs of our Hanscom civilian force."

In addition to cutting-edge fitness equipment and basketball and racquetball courts, the Fitness and Sports Center offers a wide variety of free fitness classes formulated to accommodate individuals of every fitness level. Classes include circuit training, boxing aerobics, spinning, Tae Kwon Do, yoga and Pilates. Class schedules are available at www.hanscomservices.com/FitnessClasses120508.pdf.

The center also sponsors motivational programs like Healthy Heart Bingo, which will run through Feb. 28. Fitness center patrons can obtain a card from the front desk and record the daily number when they go to the center to exercise. Grand prizes will be given to the first male and female to get Bingo.

For individuals seeking more personalized fitness programs or a more meditative approach to stress relief, the Fitness and Sports Center also offers information on contract services, such as personal training and massage.

"We are committed to helping civilian personnel, as well as the servicemembers, achieve their fitness goals and become healthier," said Jerry Turnbow, Fitness and Sports Center director. "We hope that everyone, regardless of their current fitness level, will feel comfortable coming in to exercise and take advantage of the superior facilities and classes that we have available here on Hanscom."

Personnel at the Health and Wellness Center can help Hanscom's civilian personnel attain their health and fitness goals through the wellness services they offer as part of the Civilian Health Promotion Program, an Air Force Materiel Command-wide program designed to improve civilians' health and well-being.

Civilians interested in participating in HAWC programs should begin by scheduling a Cardiac Risk Screening with Deanne Casey, R.N., Federal Occupational Health nurse coordinator and health educator for CHPS. Screenings include a quick finger stick for a Cardiac Risk Profile. A simple finger prick offers total cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose measurements. Blood pressure analysis and a check of height, weight and Body Mass Index are also included in the screening.

Participants are encouraged to fast for eight to 12 hours before the screening, but can be tested after just a four-hour fast if necessary.

Appointments for group and individual screenings with Ms. Casey are available from 7 to 10 a.m. on most workdays. Earlier appointments are available upon request. Group and individual screenings can be held in conference rooms and individual screenings can also be administered at the HAWC. Results are available within 10 minutes, and the appointment can be used as part of the three paid hours per week that Defense Department civilians are allotted for wellness and fitness.

Once individuals have obtained a CRP, they can use the profile's information to fill out a Health Risk Appraisal at AFMC's Wellness Support Center, www.afmcwellness.com. After submitting the HRA, each participant will receive a wellness profile. This individualized feedback is tailored to help the individual to make informed decisions in a number of important wellness categories, as well as identify any potential health risks. The Web site uses an encoding process, ensuring that the information entered remains anonymous. The Web site is also available to active-duty personnel.

Personnel wishing to begin a fitness program can make an appointment with Will Carpenter, 66th Medical Operations Squadron Health Promotion manager, or Dale Bennett, 66 MDOS exercise physiologist, for advice on an exercise program, nutrition and weight loss.

Mr. Carpenter and Mr. Bennett begin creating fitness and rehabilitative programs by administering a MicroFit assessment. The MicroFit evaluation measures standard fitness components, such as vital signs, blood pressure readings, height, weight and body fat measurements, strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance.

The evaluation helps Mr. Carpenter and Mr. Bennett assess an individual's beginning fitness state, allowing them to tailor aerobic and strength training programs according to each individual's needs. It also sets a starting point from which to measure progress.

To help ensure participants' motivation and success, the HAWC also offers exercise equipment for individuals who prefer to exercise in a more private setting than the Fitness and Sports Center.

Those interested in a comprehensive health program should try the HAWC's Lighten Up program. The program runs for eight weeks and meets once per week. The courses teach proper nutrition and weight management skills. This program is designed to help individuals make permanent, healthy lifestyle choices. For a class schedule or to register, e-mail Ms. Casey at Deanne.Casey.ctr@hanscom.af.mil.

For more information on classes and programs or to schedule an appointment, call (781) 377-6560. 

(Chuck Paone, 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs, contributed to this article.)