CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Who hasn't suffered from the closet shrunk my clothes syndrome?
This event usually occurs over the winter months and while breaking out the spring clothing, the clothes have magically become smaller. After trying to justify this phenomenon, it's time to admit about the newly gained weight. As time goes by most people make the decision to change habits and create a physical fitness routine. However, no one is alone in this adventure. The military offers many resources to increase your health, fitness and body composition. To obtain these resources Airmen just need to tap into the available assets.
The Health and Wellness Center is an exceptional resource that has health education, nutrition and fitness experts to help anyone improve their overall health and fitness. They offer multiple dietary, fitness, body composition and tobacco cessation classes in group or one-on-one settings. The HAWC has a BodPod which is an instrument used to determine your basic metabolic rate, how many calories the body burns at rest each day and body fat percentage. The results are then interpreted and a personal nutrition and exercise plan can be developed. Gait analysis may be performed providing information on a specific running style used to modify your gait and recommend shoes types appropriate for your anatomy. Educational materials are available as well as running strollers, which are available for check out.
Soon, the gym will be turned into a state-of-the-art fitness center. There are cardiovascular fitness rooms full of treadmills, elliptical trainers, bikes and more. Classes in yoga, pilates, cycling and aerobics are available at multiple times throughout the day. Free-weights and nautilus equipment is available for those who want to strengthen or tone their bodies. One can even find a personal trainer to help guide his or her quest for fitness. Remember, the fitness center has air-conditioning so there is no excuse that it is too hot to exercise during the summer months.
So why is it important to make exercise and nutrition a normal routine in life? It is because diet and exercise impact health and ultimately quality of life. The HAWC can help overcome the stigma that healthy cooking is difficult, expensive and time consuming to prepare. The risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and osteoporosis are linked to a person's fitness. This also ties into the fact military members must maintain a certain level of fitness to perform duties, be mobility ready and present a professional appearance in your uniform. Regular exercise and proper nutrition are key to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol by maintaining cardiovascular health and increasing the high density lipoproteins, the good cholesterol.
Obesity, poor nutrition and lack of exercise play a big role in developing diabetes. At the first sign of diabetes, health care providers will recommend diet and exercise, which will often control the condition without medications. It is important to provide bones with stimulation through weight training and impact aerobics to mitigate the effects of osteoporosis. As muscles pull at the bones and weight bearing is experienced, bones will react in a way to lay down more calcium, which is crucial as we age. Mentally this all makes sense and you've heard all of this before.
However, there are many reasons keeping people from exercising and eating healthy. Military members are allowed four-and-a-half hours of duty time per week to exercise. Find an exercise program that you enjoy and do it at a pace and intensity conducive to continuing. Eventually, it will become an enjoyable habit. The most difficult aspect of becoming fit is overcoming the obstacles. Once a healthy lifestyle is developed, it becomes part of the person. For further information or to make appointments call the HAWC at 963-4007.