|
Officials
release fitness-test details
By
Staff Sgt. C. Todd Lopez
Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON -- Beginning
next year, Air Force officials will implement a new fitness
test completely different than what airmen today are familiar
with.
The more functional test will include a 1.5-mile timed run,
a muscular-fitness test of push-ups and crunches and a body
composition test. It is designed to measure the general health
of airmen, said Maj. Lisa Schmidt, chief of health promotion
operations at the Air Force surgeon general’s office.
(There are two other fitness stories in this issue.)
"The goal is to have a healthy, fit force that can deploy
at any time," Schmidt said. "Our goal is to prevent
the onset of diseases such as heart attacks, stroke, high-blood
pressure and high cholesterol. Basically, it is about keeping
members healthy so they will perform optimally, in-garrison
and deployed. Healthy members are more heat-, stress- and
fatigue-tolerant, and less prone to illness and injury."
To measure airmen’s overall fitness, Schmidt’s office and
a panel of health and fitness experts developed a three-component
measurement system that looks at aerobic fitness, body composition
and muscular fitness, she said.
An airman's performance in each of the three component areas
will earn points. They can earn a maximum of 50 points on
the aerobic portion of the test, 30 points on the body composition
portion and 20 on the muscular fitness portion.
The total number of points earned on the fitness test will
put the airman into one of four categories: 90 or greater
is excellent, 75 to 89.9 is good, 70 to 74.9 is marginal,
and less than 70 is poor, Schmidt said.
“Scores based on health provide an opportunity for earlier
intervention,” Schmidt said. "If somebody scores in the
marginal or poor category, we know they are at higher risk
for disease. Therefore, we intervene with education and more
frequent testing to monitor their progress."
People scoring marginal on the test will attend a two-hour
healthy-living workshop that focuses on life-style behavior,
time management and fitness education, Schmidt said.
Intervention for people scoring in the poor category involves
the healthy-living workshop, an individualized exercise program
and a weight-loss program for those who exceed body fat standards.
It also involves mandatory exercise five days a week, she
said.
The test for body composition is still being finalized, but
it will measure how much body fat a person has, Schmidt said.
Tests for other components of the fitness standard have already
been determined. A 1.5-mile run will determine aerobic fitness.
Airmen who are not medically cleared to run will take the
cycle-ergometry test. Muscular fitness will be determined
by both push-ups and crunches, which will be similar to those
done in conjunction with the cycle-ergometry test.
Airmen’s scores on the new fitness test will also determine
how often they need to retest. People scoring “good” or “excellent”
will retest after a year, while those scoring “marginal” will
retest after six-months. Airmen scoring “poor” will retest
after 90 days.
Just how many push-ups and crunches airmen will have to do,
or how fast they will have to run, has yet to be finalized.
Schmidt’s office has developed draft charts for the composite
score. The fitness standards on the draft charts are tailored
to both age and gender.
While the charts are not available yet, airmen who are not
already involved in some sort of exercise program should begin
now, Schmidt said.
"If you are not doing anything now and have concerns,
see your doctor first," she said. "Begin slowly
with an aerobic-exercise program such as running, jogging,
swimming or biking, working up to at least 30 minutes on most
days of the week. Muscular fitness and flexibility also need
to be part of a balanced fitness program. If you have questions
about starting a fitness program, you can contact your local
(health and wellness center). They can help develop a program
that’s right for you.”
|
