HAWC ready to help KAFB prepare for new PT standards

  • Published
  • By Michelle Tirado
  • 377th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
Kirtland Air Force Base, NM --  The new Air Force fitness standard goes into effect July 1 - less than a month away. Will you pass? If your answer isn't a resounding "YES!" the Health and Wellness Center is here to help.

Current fitness standards allow Airmen to perform poorly in one or more categories as long as the total score is 75 or higher. However, the new standards require Airmen to pass each component - abdominal circumference, push-ups, sit-ups, and cardio (run or walk), as well as score 75 or higher. As a result, Airmen who pass the current standard may fail after July 1, unless commanders, wingmen and individuals themselves intervene now to get ready.

Body Mass Index is no longer a factor of the body-composition component of the fitness assessment; however there are new waist-circumference standards. Male Airmen with waists more than 39.5 inches and females more than 35.5 inches will automatically fail the test. Weight-management is the key to reducing inches around the waist. To help, the HAWC has on staff a registered dietitian who offers individual and group sessions to guide grocery shopping and diet plans. Family members are also welcome, which will to help families improve healthy eating at home.

Generally, the push-up and sit-up standards will be tougher because Airmen will have to do more repetitions to meet minimum standards and because the quality of each push-up and sit-up will be monitored by the Fitness Assessment Cell. To help, the HAWC's exercise physiologist offers personalized exercise plans and group clinics to improve form and overall body strength.

Finally, the cardio component will be worth 60 percent of the composite score under the new standard, compared to 50 percent under the current standard. Airmen who can't perform the 1.5-mile run due to a running profile will do a rigorous, timed 1-mile walk that also evaluates heart rate. To help, the HAWC's exercise physiologist offers one-on-one and group clinics to improve run and walk times through cardiovascular training programs. The fitness center staff also offers a variety of fitness classes to provide structured training opportunities for Airmen.

Commanders, Unit Fitness Program Managers and individual Airmen and families can call the HAWC at 846-1186 or -8796 to take advantage of these services. On request, the HAWC will also take these services on the road as outreach to any Kirtland unit and any shift. Get fit now!