BE WELL program helps airmen reach fitness goals

  • Published
  • By Holly Logan-Arrington
  • Robins Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  The path to living an unhealthy, sedentary life is a slippery slope.

It starts with missing a workout once or twice a week. Next, your healthy eating habits fall by the wayside. Before you know it, you've lost that fit feeling ... and its look too.

Robins' Health and Wellness Center offers a source of redemption for those who backslide into an unhealthy lifestyle. 

Staff Sgt. Parise Owens, HAWC NCOIC, said Balanced Eating, Workout Effectively, Live Long is an intervention program for airmen who struggle to meet current Air Force fitness standards.

"It's a program that makes healthy living as a whole a learned behavior," she said. "If airmen fail their fitness assessments, they have access to a full suite of options to include: BE WELL Online, the Air Force Weight Management program, cardiovascular intervention or strength intervention as conducted at each individual installation, and telephonic health coaching through Military One Source."

Owens said airmen have the flexibility of choosing one option or all of them within BE WELL to help them reach their fitness goals.

"The Walk-To-Run program is a 10-week running program designed to help build endurance," she said. "Members who complete this program can go from being able to run for two minutes to running for 30 minutes."

The BE WELL Walk-To-Run program, which Owens facilitates, was created to properly and safely reintegrate running back into the lifestyle of someone who hasn't run in a while.

Staff Sgt. Carson Montney - a 461st Maintenance Group database manager, is one of five military members who was recently command-directed to enroll in the program - said Walk-To-Run is an excellent way for individuals to get their fitness goals back on track.

"The tiered approach to running over 10 weeks is a good way to prevent injury from someone attempting to run farther than their body can handle when picking up the new habit," he said. "I have already recommended the class to other people."

Owens worked with the group on improving endurance and performance in timed running. 

After 10 weeks, all five airmen passed their fitness assessments, Owens said.

"This program is way more than just showing up and running," she said. "I have built relationships with each person who has attended. 

The social support is one of the biggest reasons that I would recommend this class," she added. "Seeing that you're not alone and have support not only from your instructor but others in the class plays a huge role in one's inspiration for running."