Year-round exercise program pays dividends

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Johandy Martinez
  • 514th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Do you ever look at the calendar and realize that your fit-to-fight test is coming up and think, "Oh, no! I have to start working out?"

Airmen who fall into this category, but who want to avoid sabotaging their careers with a failed fit-to-fight test, should not wait to start a regular year-round exercise program.

A key component to improving your test score is being active all year. Instead of rushing into a new fitness regimen a few months prior to the test, you could get better results by intensifying the workouts that you've already been performing.

A year-round exercise program helps you with more than your fight-to-fight test. The test occurs just once or twice per year, but your overall fitness affects your quality of life every single day. A physically active lifestyle helps in many ways by:

 · controlling weight,
 · combating diseases and other health conditions,
 · improving mood,
 · promoting better sleep,
 · maintaining healthy bones, muscles and joints,
 · enhancing work, recreation and sport performance, and
 · improving sex drive.

For those who aren't sure where to start, I recommend trying some of the many group exercise sessions available at most fitness centers. When you participate, pay attention to what the instructors are saying because not only are they pushing you to break a sweat, but they are also teaching you how to exercise properly so that you may take it home with you. They are certified instructors, so do not feel embarrassed to pick their brains about anything.

The 1.5-mile run is often cited as the most challenging component of the Air Force fitness test, so here are a few tips to help you prepare.

Train for speed - Long, slow jogging is useful for overall fitness, but since our test is timed, speed is very important. Improving stride rate, more so than stride length, is the best way to improve speed over longer distances. See how many times your right foot hits the ground during a 30 second run at your usual pace, and then set a reachable goal to increase that rate each time you run. Incremental improvements over time will lead to great rewards.

Peddle power - Join a spin class, bike some hills or climb some stairs once or twice a week, especially if your muscles are sore from running. These low-impact workouts will boost your level of fitness while adding leg strength to make a difference in your running times. Hard work with no extra pounding!

Take a dip - Adding swim sessions to your exercise regime helps work many of the body's smaller muscles which contribute to a more balanced running stride. Swimming also helps with breathing control, which can translate into a more efficient running pace.

Trial training - Running regular 1.5 mile trial tests throughout the year helps you gauge where you stand. Performing well on a trial test is a source for positive motivation, while performing poorly may reveal the need to increase your exercise program's intensity. Frequent trial runs help you adapt to the run, which can reduce mental and physical stress during the test.

Finish strong - Finish your runs with a burst of near-maximum speed. Over time, increase the distance of the burst. You should be gasping for air at the end. Pushing your body to its threshold will lead to overall running improvement.

(Senior Airman Martinez is a certified personal trainer who works as a fitness manager at New York Sports Club.)