Fit to Fight: Fitness test motivates wing members to lose weight, adapt healthy lifestyle

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Marnee A.C. Losurdo
  • 512th Airlift Wing
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Losing weight and getting fit is a common New Year’s resolution for many people. It was about this time last year when Senior Master Sgt. Jess Windsor resolved to lose weight and get in shape. 

Within five months, the 6-foot-1-inch, 39-year-old 709th Airlift Squadron loadmaster supervisor lost 30 pounds, dropping to 225 pounds. 

“My driving force was the physical fitness test,” he said. “I wanted to be healthier.” 

When the fitness test was implemented in 2004, he received a poor; and, the second time he took it, he received a marginal, he said. 

After his second fitness test, Sergeant Windsor decided he needed to do something about it and began dieting and exercising. It worked. 

“I scored a 78 the third time, and the next time I should do even better,” said Sergeant Windsor. 

So what’s the secret to his weight-loss and fitness test success? Actually, it’s no secret. It was nothing more than eating healthy, eating less, working out three times a week for 45 minutes and a lot of discipline. 

Prior to losing weight, Sergeant Windsor’s typical meal was a burger and fries at a fast-food joint. He replaced his fast-food lunch entree with a salad and limited his intake at dinner. 

To prepare for the 1.5 mile run on the fitness test, his tri-weekly work outs consisted of stretching, walking once around the track, running four laps, walking a lap, running two laps, and then walking several laps to cool down. He gradually increased his running time during his work outs until he could run the 1.5 miles without stopping. 

The fitness test provided the spark that Sergeant Windsor needed to make positive changes in his life. 

“It’s a good thing if you’re going to get healthier, and some of us need to be forced to be healthy,” he said.

He’s smokin’ now
What forced Senior Master Sgt. Randy DuHamel, 512th Airlift Control Flight NCO in charge of airfield management, to improve his health was a simple walk up a flight of stairs in 1993. The senior master sergeant smoked for 14 years; and, by 1993 he was working his way through two-and-half packs a day. 

“I was at home and walked up a flight of stairs, and by the time I got to the top, I was gasping for air,” he said. “I realized if I continued this way, it wasn’t going to be all that beneficial for me.” 

He reached into his pocket, threw the cigarettes away and quit cold turkey. He gained 30 pounds that first year he quit smoking. 

“My uniforms were getting pretty tight, and I realized I needed to make some changes,” he said. 

In 1994, Sergeant DuHamel began dieting and exercising. He started by walking a mile every other day. He then began running a mile once a week and increased his mileage over time. During the past 11 years, he has run 5K and 7K races, and this fall he ran the Jefferson Memorial Half Marathon in Philadelphia, Pa. 

“Losing weight and maintaining weight is a lifestyle change,” said the 6-foot, 47-year-old who has maintained his current weight of 195 pounds since 1994. “I’ve tried different diets over the years and have realized the best way to lose weight is through moderating what you eat and exercise.” 

Sergeant Windsor’s and DuHamel’s method of gradually working their way up to the 1.5 mile run is recommended for new runners, according to the Air Force Medical Service web site. Many people may not want to or are not physically capable of running a mile immediately, so it’s recommended to start slow. 

For example, run 45 seconds and walk 30 seconds, then increase run times to 60 seconds and the walk time to 30 seconds and keep doing so until one can run 1.5 miles consistently from there. The pace should be comfortable enough to hold a conversation. The key is to be consistent.

Good medicine
Exercise may sound like a bad word to some people, but others look forward to it and see it as a stress reliever. Such is the case for Capt. Cathy Anderson, 512th Military Personnel Flight commander. The 40-year-old, 135-pound working mother heads to the track three times a week for an hour. In all, she runs 12 miles a week. 

“If I didn’t work out, I couldn’t keep up with the demands of the job and my family,” said the captain. She has a 7-year-old son and her husband’s job requires him to work away from home about half of the year. “It keeps me mentally and physically balanced.” 

Captain Anderson is an Air Reserve Technician; and, as a federal employee, she’s entitled to three hours of administrative leave to work out during the week. Because of this program, she has been able to work out consistently for the last two-and-a-half years. 

“It’s hard to find time to work out at home, so I take advantage of the time they give us to work out,” she said. “My work outs are something I look forward to. It’s a time I have to myself to reflect and do something good for myself. Exercise has so many long-term benefits. Overall, people are healthier because of the fitness program.” 

In addition to losing weight and relieving stress, other benefits of exercise include reducing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well as developing colon and breast cancer and diabetes. Exercising builds and maintains healthy muscles, bones and joints. In short, exercise adds years to your life and allows an individual to enjoy their life more fully as they are more apt to be free of health problems. 

The fact is fitness isn’t going to go away. Airmen deploy to all regions of the world, live in tent cities, work in extreme temperatures and operate in hostile countries subject to attack. Fitness is the key to survival.