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New fitness program leads to big losses

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Burke Baker
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  More than likely, it's the singular most common goal among recently deployed Airmen; lose a few extra pounds and increase effort to improve overall health and fitness. It is so common a personal improvement goal, it's almost cliché.

While many find success in their efforts, others find they lack the knowledge and motivation to push through and reach their goals while deployed. This is especially true once the initial wave of enthusiasm, at the prospect of being away from normal vices and bad habits, slowly wanes. Some end up with injuries because they try to do too much, too soon, while others end up with injuries because they simply don't know what they don't know.

Helping those in need of that extra little push was the goal of the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group staff when they created a new eight-week health and sports fitness program that debuted on The Rock on Jan. 19.

Dubbed "Marauders Elite," the program concentrates on presenting the medical science behind fitness. Interactive discussions are held weekly and present a core curriculum on nutrition, how to avoid the pitfalls of fad dieting and potentially harmful supplementation products, strength building, efficient running, and sports psychology.

The participants are required to track their daily exercise regimens and wear a pedometer to track number of daily footsteps. They also compete amongst themselves for various accolades, such as the most number of miles ran, most number of steps taken, and the most amount of time spent lifting weights. Program organizers stress the fact that personal fitness must be a priority to individuals with their motto that Marauders Elite is "all about M.E."

Thirty-three Airmen from the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing participated in the inaugural class, which enters the seventh week into the program this week. Almost all of the participants have seen progress; however, one Airman in particular has seen huge losses in both pounds and body fat.

Senior Airman Ryan Peluso, a member of the 386th Personnel Support for Contingency Operations team, says he benefited hugely from the Marauders Elite Program. Peluso lost more than 30 pounds and 13.1 percent body fat during a two month period. He lost almost 20 of those pounds during the weeks he was enrolled in the M.E. program.

Peluso credits the program for improving his nutrition education and teaching him how to run more efficiently. He couldn't be happier with the results.

"I feel great, especially about the weight loss," he said. "It was a lot more than I had expected. I had wanted to get back on track with my fitness, so I decided to focus on it while I was here. And then when I get back, I will be able to continue on with it."

The idea for the program started with Col. Jeanne Ryder, 386th Expeditionary Medical Group commander. She directed Maj. (Dr.) Sean Martin, on her staff, to create a health and sports fitness program with the intent to help Airmen reach their goal of getting in shape.

"I wanted to devise a program that had high value for the participants but was not to be considered a 'Fitness Improvement Program,' she said. "I gave Dr. Martin my vision and he, and the team, organized the topics and program format. This program was truly birthed by a group of individuals who are passionate about health and fitness and who want to assist others in meeting their goals," she said.

Martin then hand-picked a team of medical professionals who he felt would bring the right mix of enthusiasm and knowledge to the program. A five-person team was formed from the expeditionary medical personnel to develop the curriculum and execute the vision. The team spent weeks designing a program that motivated participants to get active, while providing them with the necessary information base to make informed decisions at the dining facility and the gym, setting Airmen up to make a holistic lifestyle change.

Staff Sgt. Caleb Chiellini, a medical technician with the 386th EDMG, was selected by Martin as a member of the development team.

"Fitness, and strength training in particular, is a passion of mine and Marauders Elite has given me the opportunity to share my passion with others," he said. "I also wanted to learn how I could take my own fitness goals to the next level and this class is helping me to achieve those goals."

According to Martin, the biggest challenge was designing a program that accommodated a very diverse audience. He and his team had to factor in the immense range of experience, individual sports interests, and personal obstacles among the participants.

"We designed it from the ground up with the goal of providing a comprehensive, dynamic, and interactive approach to fitness education," said Martin. "Our number one priority is to provide the tools so that the participants can achieve lasting changes."

All the while keeping them engaged and motivated, he added.

The one-hour classes have covered basic nutrition principles, proper exercise form, running technique, exercise physiology, supplements, and sports psychology.

"Nobody deploys with the goal of becoming less fit," said Martin. "We encourage Marauders Elite participants to own the process and to take a personal approach to self-improvement. You have to seek out the change," he said. "That desire, coupled with the education we are providing through this program, is what makes seemingly unachievable goals possible."

A second class started four weeks after the first and has averaged 19 personnel through the first two sessions. The idea is to run two classes concurrently to maximize the opportunity for deployed Airmen to reach their goals. It is an ongoing program.

"The class seems to keep people accountable to their goals as well as foster a sense of camaraderie," said Ryder. "There may be tweaks to the program to make it better from the feedback of this first class, but I know it has been successful in terms of positive results from weight loss and an increased fitness output of almost all individuals."

The program has indeed produced positive results. After six weeks, the initial class has collectively run 732 miles, walked over 1200 miles, taken 98 hours of fitness classes, and spent a total of 168 hours in the gym. Airmen from the first class have also lost more than 85 pounds.

"I believe our job as medics is to ensure all Airmen and partner units can execute their mission to the best of their physical, emotional and mental abilities," said Ryder. "The class is a vehicle where the medics can proactively assist the individual to better themselves through fitness and health, enabling them to do their jobs better. It is a win-win for the individual and the military," she said.

Cliché or not, Martin says taking advantage of being deployed to improve overall fitness is a significant goal to have.

"Being away from your loved ones is a challenge unto itself, but it is also an opportunity," he said. "Aside from deployments, there are few other times in your life in which you can maximize the time and resources available to concentrate on your own personal fitness."

Marauders Elite classes begin every four weeks. A sign up roster is available at the clinic.