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thedrifter
11-26-02, 06:15 AM
By Doug Huddy and Jennifer Svan, Stars and Stripes
Stripes Sunday magazine, November 24, 2002

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Mark Oliva / S&S
Lance Cpl. Rex Darmstaedter stretches before a morning workout at 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion on Okinawa.

President Bush wants to pump you up.

And it’s not just the military folks; it’s for everyone.

The president’s “HealthierUs” initiative, announced in June, calls for at least 30 minutes of daily exercise for adults. Even more is recommended for children.

Military service not only recommends but requires servicemembers to engage in some sort of physical activity. It’s a standing direct order.

Commanders from each of the branches of service are taking physical training requirements seriously, by either undertaking studies to change current standards or cracking down to ensure the standards are reached.

Fueling their motivation, military health officials said, is a concern that the rank and file must be healthy and physically capable to handle the rigors of war.

Some troops — from different branches of the service — returned from the Persian Gulf War because the environment was too physically taxing, said Floyd McSweeney, staff exercise physiologist at the population health support office, Brooks Air Force Base, Texas.

But lean, fit military personnel are “more mission-ready,” he said. Exercise improves morale and camaraderie, while reducing the risk of disease and medical expenses.

But to get servicemembers battle-ready, you have to first get them out from behind their desks.

Couch potato habits

With a reputation of having lightweight PT requirements, the Air Force is out to change its image — and its negative statistics.

Recent studies indicate the Air Force is the most sedentary among the military’s four branches.

Half of Air Force personnel in a December 2000 survey reported they exercise at least three times a week, compared to 78 percent of Marine, 74 percent of Army and 60 percent of Navy personnel surveyed.

The survey, based on a study led by Dr. Lee Harrison of Marywood University, Scranton, Pa., found inactivity may stem from differing physical training requirements. For example, 85 percent of Marines participated in mandatory physical training while just 10 percent of Air Force personnel complied, the survey said.

“Required physical training appears to be a highly effective method for increasing overall levels of physical activity, especially for military members working sedentary jobs,” the researchers concluded.

McSweeney said Air Force members are required to maintain an exercise program year-round. But they’re on their own to stay in shape, unless they fail cycle ergometry, the Air Force fitness test, or tip the scales.

And, as McSweeney observed, “when you leave exercise up to individuals, there’s always a certain segment of society … they don’t exercise.”

“For many people, we know they don’t exercise because they don’t feel like it” or rather would spend that time with family, he said.

For a military that’s trained and paid to stay fit to fight, couch-potato habits can be costly.

About 600 people are separated from the Air Force every year for weight reasons, said Dr. Christine Hunter, an Air Force captain and director of clinical programs and research in the Wilford Hall Medical Center clinical health psychology service.

“That’s 600 potentially productive people lost,” Hall said.

With so much at stake, Air Force leaders are considering whether to implement mandatory physical training, McSweeney said.

“At this point it’s been nothing but discussion,” he said.

But McSweeney believes “it’s absolutely necessary.”

“I think mandatory PT would serve the Air Force well,” he said.

The Army also is studying changing its physical training requirements, noting that regardless of your job, you are expected to physically be able to move people and equipment.

In the Navy, sailors must participate in at least three “moderately intense” physical-training sessions per week, according to the Navy’s outline of its physical-readiness training program.

“Physical fitness is a crucial element of mission performance,” said Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, the Navy’s chief of personnel, in a message outlining changes to the service’s physical-readiness program. “One manner to pursue is an aggressive command campaign to integrate physical-readiness training and education into the workweek.”

Resources needed

In an era of downsizing and increased operations tempo — where each soldier, Marine, airman and sailor is expected to do more with less — the military isn’t meeting the needs of its people when it comes to physical activity, believes health educator and researcher Maureen Mintzlaff.

A doctoral candidate in Health Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia, Mintzlaff has worked with civilian and military populations for more than 10 years in disease prevention and health promotion.

In the Air Force, where Mintzlaff has conducted much of her research, new initiatives are needed, as is a better understanding of the factors that influence physical activity, she said.

“I think we need more experts in the prevention programs,” she said, “who know how to effectively implement programs, evaluate effects, and have a basic understanding of how to help individuals change behaviors.”

For the military to reverse the national trend of bulging waistlines, senior military leaders first must set good examples, Mintzlaff said.

A quote she often uses to illustrate her point: “You are always on parade,” spoken by Gen. George S. Patton, referring to military leaders in the public eye.

“Most people lack the motivation to maintain a regular consistent exercise plan, and they may need that extra support,” she said, be it mandatory physical training or commanders providing time for members to exercise on their own.

“Their role in influencing individuals can be very powerful,” she said.

If commanders enforce weight standards, ensure all squadrons provide members time to exercise and maintain a fit appearance and physical conditioning, they can create the impetus for change, beginning at the wing and trickling down to individuals, Mintzlaff said.

“The health of the military community is linked to the environment in which these members live, work and play,” she said. “It’s also affected by collective behaviors, attitudes and beliefs of everyone in that community.”

But do the military orders and presidential recommendations jibe?

Well, almost.

The HealthierUs initiative does not outline a definition of “exercise.”

Walking for 30 minutes on a treadmill is exercise, but it doesn’t guarantee a Marine he’ll run his 3-mile Physical Fitness Test in the required 28 minutes, the minimum time allotted for a male Marine age 17 to 26.

Soccer may be your activity of choice, and 30 minutes running up and down the field doing your best impersonation of Brazilian superstar Ronaldo is not an easy task. But can it help when you have to do your 92 push-ups, as required of male sailors ages 17 to 19 for an “outstanding, high” on the test?

Petty Officer 3rd Class Sergio Lopez said the Navy’s physical training program works, and its newest revisions are keeping sailors in shape. “There are a lot of improvements now,” said Lopez, as he and a USS Essex shipmate did a post-workout stretch at the seaside track at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan.

“Now when I take the test, it’s easy because I have been working hard every week,” said Seaman Windell Versher as he stretched with Lopez. Versher said the Navy could further improve physical readiness by giving the test monthly instead of twice a year.

Jason Carter contributed to this report


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Fitness by the numbers

Some sample requirements:

Service Ages / Gender Requirement
Air Force* Up to 24 male 42 push-ups and 53 crunches within 2 minutes each
Up to 24 female 19 push-ups and 53 crunches within 2 minutes each
35-39 male 31 push-ups within 2 minutes
35-39 female 13 push-ups within 2 minute
Army** 17-21 male 42 push-ups, 53 sit-ups, run 2 miles in 15 minutes, 54 seconds
17-21 female 19 push-ups, 53 sit-ups, run 2 miles in 18 minutes, 54 seconds
32-36 male 36 push-ups, 42 sit-ups, run 2 miles in 17 minutes, 42 seconds
32-36 female 15 push-ups, 42 sit-ups, run 2 miles in 21 minutes, 42 seconds
Marine Corps 17-26 male 3 pull-ups, 50 crunches, run 3 miles in 28 minutes
17-26 female 15-second flexed-arm hang, 50 crunches, run 3 miles in 31 minutes
27-39 male 3 pull-ups, 45 crunches, run 3 miles in 29 minutes
27-39 female 15-second flexed-arm hang, 45 crunches, run 3 miles in 32 minutes
Navy*** 17-19 male 50 sit-ups, 42 push-ups, run 1.5 miles in 12.5 minutes
17-19 female 50 sit-ups, 19 push-ups, run 1.5 miles in 15 minutes
35-39 male 37 sit-ups, 27 push-ups, run 1.5 miles in 15 minutes
35-39 female 37 sit-ups, 9 push-ups, run 1.5 miles in 17 minutes

Source: Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Air Force.
* Bike test — cycle ergometry — measures how efficiently lungs use oxygen. Air Force has no mandatory strength standards. Proposed additions of strength standards were put on hold because of War on Terror.
** Exercises are based on points for each activity completed. Soldiers are challenged to receive highest score possible.
*** Requirements to get a “probationary” score, which means you pass but must attend mandatory PT.

http://www.estripes.com/photos/11689_1121193024b.jpg

Mark Oliva / S&S
Pfc. James Welch kicks his feet in rhythm with the cadence during the leg-lift portion his unit’s workout. The Recon Marines work out for two hours in the morning as a unit and then individually another couple hours at night.

Sempers,

Roger

thedrifter
11-26-02, 06:22 AM
By Mark Oliva, Stars and Stripes
Stripes Sunday magazine, November 24, 2002

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Mark Oliva / S&S
Cpl. Stephen Shattuck of Marines’ 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion on Okinawa pushes through the final portion of an open-ocean swim during a unit physical training session.


Zero-six-thirty, and the sun creeps above the Pacific Ocean, casting a dim orange light on a small platoon of Marines stretching out in a circle.

Physical training at Camp Schwab, Okinawa, is a little different. What starts as innocent stretching finishes up with a brutal series of chest-popping push-ups, gut-busting crunches and burning leg-lifts. And that’s all before the open-ocean swims and martial arts training.

Welcome to 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, home to some of the toughest physical training for Marines on Okinawa.

Gunnery Sgt. Cecil Osborn, platoon sergeant for 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, is leading the session. His Marines — fresh-faced 19-year-olds to seasoned sergeants — fall in around him, decked out in the distinctive Recon PT uniform — khaki square-cut shorts and green shirts emblazoned with the mission’s logo on the back.

There’s nothing fancy about the workout. No high-speed heart-rate monitors or elaborate electronics. The most sophisticated piece of equipment is a pull-up bar. There’s nothing timid about it, either.

Jumping jacks don’t make the cut as workout fodder. Here, it’s sweat and burn … and then more of the same.

“Everything we do is for combat conditioning,” Osborn said. “We set up our program so we can PT anywhere we go. We can do all this in the corner on ship. When we were in Thailand, we did this same workout right in the middle of the jungle. We’ll do martial arts training right after patrols, because that’s as close as we come to be combat exhausted as possible.”

Osborn said that while most Marines train for the Physical Fitness Test, his prepare for combat. Mastering the test’s three-mile run, 100 crunches in two minutes and 20 dead-hang pull-ups is just a yardstick. Combat’s the real test.

Still, a couple hours of punishing physical training isn’t enough. Sgt. Jimmy Smith, a team leader in Osborn’s platoon, said he expects his Marines to put in additional hours lifting weights on their own.

“If you don’t do that out here, it’s looked down on by the rest of the Marines,” Smith said. “We’re competitive. We all compete against each other, and no one wants to be the guy in last place. You can see when someone’s only been putting in the minimum.”

Reaching Recon status is a physical feat in itself.

Those Marines must attain first-class PFT scores and complete a 500-meter open-water swim, a first-class qualification. That simply gets them into the reconnaissance school. To leave, they must complete a series of increasingly difficult physical tests, including a beach run in utility uniforms with 50-pound sandbags in their packs.

“We’re not here to try and break people,” Osborn said. “There aren’t a whole lot of people knocking on our door to be Recon. We’re more interested in heart. As long as they have heart and don’t quit, we’ll make them into Recon Marines.”

Osborn said when Marines set out to do 100 pull-ups, it’s tackled by ability level. Some do it in 10 sets of 10. Others might do them one at a time. But they get to the century mark.

The Marines here are certainly fit. Flat stomachs and sinewy arms are the norm, but there are few bodybuilding champs.

“Those guys have the body of a Porsche but the engine of a Volkswagen,” Osborn said. “We’re looking for the wiry guys. None of us look like huge body lifters.”

The workout’s emphasis is on the muscles they’re most likely to use. In the field, these Marines hike for miles, weighed down by bulging packs.

“We do a lot of abdominal exercises and focus heavily on the legs. It’s about slow control,” said 1st Lt. Ian Fletcher, platoon commander. “The emphasis is on those connecting muscles between the upper and lower body because these guys are swimming with fins and transitioning from standing to kneeling all the time. If your back or abs go out, you’re useless.”

Sgt. Roberto Alvarez, a team leader in Osborn’s platoon, said his unit’s workout varies each day to build up different muscle groups. Still, his Marines expect to endure six- or seven-mile runs, followed by alternating sets of pull-ups, crunches and push-ups, eventually adding to 100 each. Then, it’s off to the pool or the ocean for 4,000- to 5,000-meter swims.

Alvarez conducts it under a friendly but competitive atmosphere, motivating the Marines to push each other’s endurance limits.

“PT is an appointment we keep every day,” Alvarez said. “This is our job. We train for combat, and if we’re not doing this, we’re not fit for combat.”

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Mark Oliva / S&S
Marines on Okinawa resume their morning run after finishing an open-ocean swim of a couple thousand yards.

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Mark Oliva / S&S
Sgt. Jimmy Smith, a team leader in 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion on Okinawa, does push-ups during a platoon PT session

Sempers,

Roger

thedrifter
11-26-02, 07:10 AM
By Rick Chernitzer, Stars and Stripes
Stripes Sunday magazine, November 24, 2002

So you don’t want to look like Superman but wouldn’t mind keeping trim?

There’s no need to spend countless hours at the base fitness center wrestling with exercise machines that look like torture racks.

Mitzi Logan, a personal trainer and assistant director at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Fitness Center at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, recommends the following exercises as a way to maintain general fitness: the plank, T-stand, crunch with a medicine ball, reverse crunch, bicycle oblique and hanging leg raise.

Some are simple exercises, requiring little or no equipment, and can be performed daily just about anywhere. For details, see the accompanying descriptions and photos.

Logan said a good way to tell if the exercise is working is to check your “perceived exertion” with a “talk test.”

“If you can say three or four words before having to take a breath while doing an exercise, then you’re doing fine,” she said. “If you can only get out one or two words, you’re probably working too hard.”

“You just can’t do anaerobic exercises, but a combination of cardiovascular, strength training and of course flexibility is very important.”

These are only a few exercises. Trainers at the center can recommend others. That’s important, Logan said. People should vary their routines not only to avoid boredom but to pull a fast one on their muscles.

“Your body builds a tolerance, just like it does with medicine,” she said. “Plus, you could suffer from ‘overuse injuries’ if you’re not careful.”

Do exercises slowly, she said, to get the most from your workout.

“Proper form and technique are most important when executing any exercise,” Logan said.

The terminally busy need not fear: Simple everyday things we all do can put exercises into our daily routine. You’d almost have to work to avoid them, she said.

“Park a little further away when you’re going to the exchange,” suggested Logan. “Take the walk. Or even sitting at your desk, just tighten and release your abdominal muscles.

“There’s no magic pill or potion. You just have to get off your butt and work out.”

http://ww2.pstripes.osd.mil/02/nov02/tips/pages/01plank.html

http://ww2.pstripes.osd.mil/02/nov02/tips/pages/02tstand.html

http://ww2.pstripes.osd.mil/02/nov02/tips/pages/03crunch.html

http://ww2.pstripes.osd.mil/02/nov02/tips/pages/04reverse.html

http://ww2.pstripes.osd.mil/02/nov02/tips/pages/05bicycle.html

http://ww2.pstripes.osd.mil/02/nov02/tips/pages/06hanging.html

Sempers

Roger