JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
The Armed Forces Wellness Center, formally known as the Army Wellness Center, provides standardized primary prevention programs and services designed to build and sustain good health and improve the overall healthy lifestyle to all active-duty military, family members, retirees and DoD civilians, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
“People always assumed that the Army Wellness Center was only for Soldiers because it has Army in the name,” said Samantha Melius, AFWC supervisory health educator. “But that’s not true at all; we welcome all branches of service to come get help from our wellness center.”
Melius mentioned the AFWC is not like a hospital or a clinic, the team of wellness coaches do not treat sicknesses. Rather, she explained they offer free services such as the Volume of Oxygen Submax testing (VO2), body composition testing, and stress management classes without the need of a referral from a doctor.
“You can come as many times as you want,” said Melius. “There’s no insurance involved, no billing, and it’s all free!”
David Pittman, a member with the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, has been coming to the AFWC for the past five years.
“I’ve seen so much improvement [in my health] since I’ve been coming here. Seeing what this equipment can detect is really mind blowing,” said Pittman.
When visiting the AFWC for the first time, a wellness coach will administer a health and change questionnaire to determine what your goals are and how the professionals can help you achieve those goals.
“We help people work toward whatever health and wellness goals they have and help them try to reach those goals by using behavioral change,” explained Melius.
The wellness coaches at the AFWC encourage first time visitors to use the “Bod Pod”, a machine that measures your weight and volume to determine and calculate your body fat percentage and metabolism rate. All this data is used to help develop a health plan.
“The results you get here are specified to you only, and it’s not the standard chart you see at the gym,” said Melius.
After the initial appointment, patients can also participate in additional services the AFWC has to offer. All the programs are designed to improve mental and physical health while giving personalized results.
“I’m very thankful for the help I received from the wellness coaches at the AFWC. They gave me a good basis for managing my health,” said Pittman.
If you’re ready to experience what the AFWC wellness team has to offer, call 757-314-7724 to book an appointment. The AFWC is located at Bldg. 500, Stemberg Ave, Fort Eustis, VA 23604.