LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
From the arch of the foot to the swing of the arm, the Health and Wellness Center taught Airmen the secret to shaving up to a minute off from the physical training test, July 9, at Langley Air Force Base, Va.
Pack leaders and those that bring up the rear both benefited from the HAWC's running program.
"What we do is look at running form," said Tony Arroyo, a HAWC exercise physiologist. "Then we give them a good progression program specific to the mile-and-a-half."
Prior to an outdoor evaluation, Capt. Kristen Mayer, a 633rd Medical Group physical therapist, taught participants about the importance of running form and proper footwear.
Without proper footwear, for example, common injuries such as shin splints and lower back pain arise, said Mayer. Also, improper footwear and form can cause permanent injury to the knees and ankles due to the arch of a runner's foot, or the way their foot hits the ground.
Mayer explained the importance of the progression system and helped participants with their individual problems, such as shoe brands and workouts. Afterwards, Arroyo expanded on the workout, and calculated what runners would need to do to reach their goals.
"Most individuals go wrong by starting their training too late," said Arroyo. "They don't have time for their bodies to adapt to what they are trying to get accomplished."
Arroyo said a 90-day training period, focused around progression of intensity, is the key to improving run times. In addition to progression, he stressed that runners shouldn't pound the pavement five days a week. He advocates for runners to work three days, and then do active recovery.
Active recovery means working out on days that aren't part of an exercise program, giving certain muscles a break, while still staying active. An example would be running three days a week, then doing muscle training or sports during the rest of the week.
With all these lessons learned, Arroyo took the class out to the track to evaluate the gait of each runner, and give tips and advice on how to improve their run.
Arroyo took the class through a series of warm-ups, took notes and kept time as each participant ran a lap then he told the runner where improvement was needed to maximize energy. After the activity, he gave out information from the HAWC the class could use to improve.
"Everybody moves differently," said Arroyo. "The purpose of this class is to show them specifically what needs to be changed to improve their overall fitness."
U.S. Air Force Reserve Maj. Alexandra Halchak, 633rd Air Base Wing assistant judge advocate, enjoyed the combination of classroom instruction and physical practice.
"I like the interaction," said Halchak. "Setting goals and then practicing to keep my form."
U.S. Air Force Reserve Capt. C.J. Grotewohl, another running clinic participant, gave praise to the progression program and the uniqueness of running training.
"I've been trained in a lot of sports before, but never running," said Grotewohl. "I like the 'lap-by-lap' approach to meet my goal."
For more information on the running clinic, or to sign-up, contact the HAWC at 757-764-0140.