DECEMBER 31, 2019 – A quick search of the internet reveals that eat better, lose weight, and exercise more, commonly rank among the top resolutions people make for the New Year. The Army Wellness Center features free health and wellness classes for service members, retirees, and family members, and Department of the Army civilian employees.
“The Army Wellness Center offers standardized primary prevention programs to help our population lead healthy lifestyles by teaching them how to sustain healthy habits in the areas of sleep, stress, physical fitness and nutrition,” said Jheri Godfrey, Fort Campbell Army Wellness Center, director. “We feature a variety of classes that can help beneficiaries with their nutrition and fitness goals.”
For beneficiaries seeking to improve their diet, the AWC offers Fueling for Health, Meals in Minutes and Upping Your Metabolism.
Fueling for Health teaches the fundamentals of nutrition and eating strategies to fuel the body for optimal health. “We cover the basics of macronutrients and dietary recommendations,” said Godfrey.
Meals in Minutes helps participants learn how easy and quick it can be to eat well. The class covers recipes and foods to keep on hand that will enable participants to fix quick healthy meals. “We talk about the barriers and myths when it comes to cooking and eating healthier,” Godfrey said,
Upping Your Metabolism is a follow-up class for beneficiaries who have completed a free metabolic assessment at the AWC.
“Our metabolic testing will find an individual’s resting metabolic rate – this is how many calories they are burning completely at rest. Based on this test and the amount of physical activity they are doing, and their goals, we are able to calculate their caloric intake,” Godfrey explained. “Rather than a ballpark figure most diet plans provide, we’re able to give beneficiaries personalized caloric recommendations.”
After the metabolic assessment, the Upping Your Metabolism class helps participants learn how to use their individual metabolic results to improve their metabolism. It covers nutrition guidelines, physical fitness recommendations, and other proven wellness tips.
For beneficiaries who want to work on their physical fitness, AWC staff can develop a personal fitness plan, called a fitness prescription, based on individual fitness goals.
Beneficiaries will meet one-on-one with an AWC representative to discuss their fitness goals, likes and dislikes. The health counselor will then develop a customized routine.
The center also offers classroom learning.
Staying Fit Home and Away is a class where participants learn how to stay physically active and maintain fitness levels. It is specially targeted to those with busy schedules and travel, which can disrupt fitness routines.
And new to the center, an Army Combat Fitness Test preparation and injury prevention program for Soldiers focused on preparing for the ACFT. The new test is scheduled to replace the Army Physical Fitness in October 2020. The AWC is assisting by providing effective exercise programing strategies and education on proper exercise form in order to maximize APFT performance and prevent injury.
“Musculoskeletal injuries are the highest proportion of all injuries in the Army, which negatively impacts the readiness of our Force,” said Godfrey. “What is interesting is that MSK injuries can be prevented, and the AWC can address the modifiable MSK risk factors that reduce the chance of injury.”
Other services offered by the Army Wellness Center include, physical fitness testing, body composition analysis, stress management, improving sleep habits and individual health coaching. The health educators are also available to go mobile, taking their class to units on post and family readiness groups.
For AWC assistance on your new year health and wellness goals, contact the center at (270) 461-3451.
Story by Maria Christina Yager
Blanchfield Army Community Hospital