Fit Program pumps up with more components Published Dec. 18, 2014 By Kimberly Woodruff Staff Writer TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The FIT program starts its next session Jan. 5 and will include more health components, such as pre- and post-health assessments of individuals in the program, to enhance the physical wellness. Working an hour each day for five days, this eight-week course will now include lab testing for cholesterol and glucose, blood pressure checks and measuring body fat percentage in the BodPod. The program will also include tobacco cessation for those who need it. "The focus is on improved human performance: being in better shape for the Fitness Assessment, decreasing the risks of injuries, being healthy and being mission ready," said Laura Crowder, chief of Health Promotions with the 72nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron. "Adding these assessments will allow us to see how the program is affecting the overall health of the individual." Ms. Crowder said the BodPod will allow them to see the effect of exercise in particular strength conditioning. "We will be able to see the lean muscle gain, body fat losses, and provide a bigger picture of the person's body composition," she said. Exercise physiologist Traci Fuhrman leads the participants through aerobic, run, strength, core and flexibility conditioning throughout the eight weeks with classes meeting for one hour five days a week. She educates the members on safe and effective ways of training through this progression program. The program also includes functional movement screening and nutrition education. The functional movement screen helps to identify individual muscle weakness and imbalances which then corrective exercises are performed to assist in injury prevention. "With the addition of the functional movement screen and corrective movement exercises participants learn how to improve muscle imbalances that could otherwise lead to overuse injuries and keep Airmen from being mission ready," said Ms. Crowder. "We're getting more in depth with individualized movement patterns and injury prevention," said Ms. Fuhrman. She said program participants receive a foam roller with specific exercises they can do to provide myofascial release of the muscles and help decrease muscle soreness. Registered dietitian, Wendi Knowles, instructs a nutrition class once a week for four weeks throughout the eight-week program. Using a popular fitness app, participants are taught how to track calories and their workout and even communicate with Ms. Knowles. More than 240 members have participated in FIT since it first began in October 2012. Just over 75 percent of those participants passed their final mock 1.5 mile run at the end of the program. The FIT program is currently open to active duty members only including all branches of the military. This is a great program for anyone who would like to learn the tools needed to enhance their health and physical performance. Participation also includes members who are not on a profile. Once a person goes off a profile, they are a good candidate for the program, said Ms. Fuhrman. Ms. Fuhrman said attendees in the Physical Training Leader advanced course will now be required to attend the FIT class an hour a day for five days to receive PTL-A certification. "PTL's will receive more education and hands-on training to use in leading their own PT sessions," she said. Also, participants will get to meet with Allen Starks, the Fitness Assessment Cell Program manager. Participants will be able to ask him questions to help prepare for their fitness test. Sign up for the FIT program by contacting Ms. Fuhrman or through your unit fitness program manager. For more information on the program, call Health Promotions at 734-5506.