Air Force Health Promotion HQ

01/15/2021

Happy Friday! #fridayvibes

01/14/2021

As part of the "Get Into Fighting Weight" 5-week challenge, Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS) will be talking about dietary supplements and #weightloss on Military OneSource tomorrow at 12PM EDT.

Tune in for relevant and useful military-specific info!

01/14/2021

Go For Green

Make sure you're eating high-performance foods to boost your #fitness, strength, and health!

#WeGorForGreen #performancenutrition

01/14/2021

Make Getting Better Sleep Your New Year’s Resolution - The Sleep Council

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION IDEAS TO HELP YOU SLEEP

1. Try to stick to a regular bed/wake time schedule. It might not always be easy, especially if you have children or work shifts, but try to keep it consistent.

2. Move more. Exercise really does help you sleep. Try saving vigorous workouts for earlier in the day and use the evening to participate in gentler activities, such as yoga, which can be a perfect late night routine to prepare you for sleep.

3. Overhaul caffeine and alcohol consumption. While alcohol can initially make you feel sleepy and help you nod off, it does prevent you from getting the deep, quality sleep your body needs.

4. Watch what you eat. Rich or spicy foods take longer to digest which can make it harder to fall asleep. Diet, exercise and sleep all work together. You can’t do one right without the other two!

5. Make this the year that you turn off all screens an hour before bed! Artificial light at night suppresses melatonin – the hormone you need to feel sleepy. Not only that but scrolling through social media or playing games can stimulate the brain, making it harder to switch off.

For additional ideas, visit: https://sleepcouncil.org.uk/make-getting-better-sleep-your-new-years-resolution/

Tired of making the same New Year’s resolutions? Exercise more, eat better, spend less etc. We’ve all been there. But if you’re still trying to decide on a New Year’s resolution, what about getting more, or better, sleep?

01/13/2021

CMSAF JoAnne S. Bass

Life has a way of throwing us curveballs. How we deal with those moments is part of who we are. How we help others deal with them is part of who we choose to be.

Our people are the greatest competitive advantage we have over the enemy. Be strong, wingmen!

#wellnessWednesday #people #readiness #culture

01/13/2021

A SMART Plan to Achieve Your New Year's Fitness Goals

Make your resolution and goals SMART and you’ll be one step closer to achieving the greatness you deserve.

S: Specific: Have a detailed goal in mind. A perfect example would be, “I want to lose 25 pounds in four months and participate in a fun run.”

M: Measurable: By making your goals measurable, you’ll be able to track (and see) your results as you go. Take your measurements (chest, waist and hips) at the beginning, middle and end of the time frame you choose. Write them down.

A: Attainable: Set yourself up for success. Create an attainable goal that you know you can reach.

R: Realistic: Make your resolutions realistic. If you are just starting an exercise plan, create a resolution that will be realistic for your body. “I want to lose 25 pounds and complete a 5K fun run in less than 45 minutes,” is a realistic goal.

T: Timely: Make your resolutions timely so you don’t lose focus. By setting a deadline you provide yourself with an end to your means. “I want to lose 25 pounds and run a 5K fun run in less than 45 minutes by March 31, 2021.”

https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/a-smart-plan-to-achieve-your-new-year-s-fitness-goals

How do you pick New Year's resolutions that are attainable and will keep you motivated well past the first two weeks? Learn how to make smart changes that last.

01/12/2021

A New Year, A New You: Registered Dietitian Nutritionists Share Their Top Health Tips

National Spokespeople for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourage their clients to keep three ideas in mind when creating New Year’s resolutions: “Create an action plan. Pace yourself. Stay positive.”

CREATE AN ACTION PLAN
“Create personal goals based on what actionable steps you can take to meet them,” says Debbie Petitpain, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charleston, S.C. “Set an actionable goal of exercising three times a week and eating a piece of fruit after dinner instead of a piece of cake. Decide ahead of time of what success looks like to you. Otherwise, how will you know when you’ve achieved it?”

PACE YOURSELF
“Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to improving your health,” says Angel Planells, an RDN in Seattle. “Start with a small change and build from there. You can start with something as simple as eating an extra serving of a fruit or vegetable per day.”

STAY POSITIVE
Do what makes you happy, says Cordialis Msora-Kasago, an RD in Los Angeles. “There is no sense in adding tofu and kale to your plate in the name of good health if they make your tummy churn. Eat nutritious foods you like and choose physical activities you love. You’ll have more success maintaining your healthier lifestyle if you are enjoying yourself.”

For a more personalized approach to meeting your nutritional goals, Reach out to your local Health Promotion team and ask about installation resources available to help you meet your goals.

https://www.eatrightpro.org/media/press-releases/new-in-food-nutrition-and-health/new-year-recommendations

Many people view the start of a new year as an opportunity to accomplish big goals: losing 20 pounds, running a marathon or hitting the gym every day at dawn. Such lofty goals, especially without a game plan on how to accomplish them, often fade from memory by spring.

01/11/2021

HPRC - Human Performance Resources by CHAMP

It's time for #weightloss Challenge 2! Create a one-week meal plan using these tips and ideas to make #healthyeating part of your new year. ow.ly/YzcH30rrPHU

#TFFChallenge2021

01/11/2021

World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a year-long campaign to help 100 million people quit tobacco.

The year-long “Commit to Quit” WHO campaign will support at least 100 million people as they try to give up tobacco through communities of quitters. The campaign will help create healthier environments that are conducive to quitting tobacco by advocating for strong tobacco cessation policies; increasing access to cessation services; raising awareness of tobacco industry tactics, and empowering tobacco users to make successful quit attempts through “quit and win” initiatives.

Learn more: https://www. who.int/news/item/08-12-2020-who-launches-year-long-campaign-to-help-100-million-people-quit-tobacco

01/08/2021

Ramstein Health Promotion and the USAFE Fit App Team filmed a Commercial for AFN Europe featuring the Fitness App Volt. The phone app provides automated Strength and Conditioning Programs for Airmen, including programs designed for the AF Fitness Assessment. Ramstein Air Base, Germany

Currently 9,874 workouts have been logged across the MAJCOM.

https://fb.watch/2qVNa1OzPA/

01/07/2021

Boost your performance with yoga

Yoga has several preventative and healing benefits for both mind and body. From a physical perspective, regular yoga practice can improve posture, increase energy and flexibility, strengthen muscles, and promote blood circulation and hormone function. Yoga also has the potential to help treat injuries, either on its own or in conjunction with medical treatment.

Whether you’re a beginner or expert, here are some tips for effective yoga practice:

• Go slow. If you’re practicing in the morning, take your time and ease into the positions, because your body might need to warm up at first.

• Listen to your body. If you feel pain or “overstretching,” stop. You’ve reached your “full expression.” If you’re having a hard time or breathing problems, move into Corpse Pose: Lie flat on your back with your hands facing upwards. Do this until you feel better.

• Watch and learn. If you’re a beginner practicing alone, it might help to look at some videos first and become familiar with the various moves.

• Ask your healthcare provider. This is especially important for those with heart conditions, older adults, or women who are pregnant.

No matter what motivates your health or performance goals, you can benefit from HPRC’s video series on yoga sequences that target different parts of your body:

https://www.hprc-online.org/physical-fitness/training-performance/boost-your-performance-yoga

Yoga is a mind-body (sometimes called a “meditative-movement”) activity that uses a series of postures, breathing techniques, and relaxation practices to promote spiritual, mental, and physical health. There are many different forms of yoga practice, each with a different focus—from overall he...

01/06/2021

Calculating your heart rate and target heart rate can be used to measure exercise intensity.

• Determine your maximum heart rate: subtract your age from 220 (example: the maximum heart rate for a 40-year-old person would be 220 – 40 = 180 beats per minute).

• The target heart rate for moderate-intensity exercise is between 65-75% of your maximum heart rate (or 77-93% of maximum heart rate for vigorous exercise). So for the 40-year-old person with a maximum heart rate of 180, the target heart rate falls somewhere between 117-135 beats per minute for moderate exercise, or 139-167 for vigorous exercise.

Then measure your actual heart rate in either of these two ways:

1. Midway through the exercise, stop to check your pulse. Place the tips of your index and middle fingers at the wrist and press lightly on the artery in line with the thumb. Count the heartbeats for 30 seconds and multiply by 2.

2. Wear a heart rate monitor. Some pedometers have a built-in heart rate monitor that displays your current heartbeats per minute.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/staying-active/

01/05/2021

Join Dr. Lauren Messina and Dr. Libby Parins tomorrow at 12PM EDT on Military OneSource to learn about the importance of assessing your health habits to build a holistic #weightloss plan.

#TFFChallenge2021

01/05/2021

Healthy Dietary Styles

Did you know…
The best diet incorporates high-quality foods in appropriate portions; there isn’t one “perfect” diet for everyone.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/healthy-dietary-styles/

While current research comparing diets of differing macronutrient ratios may not point to one “perfect” diet, there is compelling research about certain dietary styles, including the Mediterranean …

01/05/2021

Let's get started! Track your health habits for the week. #tffchallenge2021

Are you ready? Challenge 1 starts today! Start thinking about your current health #habits and track them for the next week. http://ow.ly/8xSe30rra3p

#TFFChallenge2021 #MondayMotivation

01/04/2021

Misawa Outdoor Recreation Center

Intro to Hakkoda Backcountry overnight trip. Shred Deep Snow. Onsen. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

01/04/2021

Happy Monday! #mondaymotivation

01/04/2021

Join CHAMP in their 5-week New Year fitness challenge! #tffchallenge2021

Is #weightloss one of your health goals this year? We've got the perfect way to jump-start your goal. Join our 5-week "Get into Fighting Weight" challenge!

Every Monday, we'll post a new challenge and provide #nutrition and #workouttips throughout the week.

#TTFChallenge2021

01/01/2021

Happy New Year!

12/31/2020

Cheers to a New Year!

12/30/2020

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Today, USDA and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. Click here to read the new Guidelines: dietaryguidelines.gov

12/29/2020

Trying to quit? Try breathing through a straw when you're craving a cigarette. A lot of quitters have said it helped them! Learn more at: https://smokefree.gov/

12/28/2020

CMSAF JoAnne S. Bass

I’m sure we’ve all felt the sting before...the sting of someone not giving you the time of day, until they find out who you are, or learn of something they can gain from you.

While we can’t necessarily change their character…we CAN change and shape our own.

Be of good character. Have a fantastic Monday, folks.

#charactermatters

12/25/2020

Happy Holidays! Be safe. Be merry.

12/24/2020

Tyndall Health Promotion completed a “Sleep Optimization for Better Performance” educational briefing for 150 SFS Airmen. This briefing covered all aspects of sleep heath and the effects on human performance: how to mitigate sleep deprivation from improved sleep hygiene habits, especially for shiftwork Airmen. They discussed the impacts of sleep for cognitive performance and how sleep quality can compromise reaction time, error rate and decision-making capability for their defender population.

12/23/2020

A look back on a fun event from Incirlik Health Promotion:

In October, the team was invited to setup a table for the Breast Cancer Awareness 5k (Tutus for TaTas) and CrossFit Competition on base. They set up two tables - one for the 5k and a table for the CrossFit competition. The 5k table did some Spin The Wheel Myth vs Fact questions about Breast Cancer, gave out some prizes to 5k finishers that answered the questions correctly and also let people know about the services that Health Promotion offers on base. The table for the CrossFit competition raised awareness about supplement safety, using OPSS and HPRC as a resource, choosing foods first and not using dietary supplements as a substitute for a healthy balanced diet.

12/22/2020

Great job!

Health Promotion continues to support the HeRO Worksite Wellness Strategy at the 509 Force Support Squadron by sponsoring 10 Days if Christmas Fun Health Facts Trivia Game. Each day for 10 days the 509 Force Support Squadron was given health information on sleep, stress, fruits and vegetables, physical activity, sugar sweeten beverages and Mediterranean diet. First person to email the correct answer to the health promotion coordinator not only won a prize but their name was entered into a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to the Whiteman commissary.

Winners: Ms. Lori Pitts, Ms Shannon Newcomb, Ms. Leslie Johansen, Mrs. Anna Castle, Ms. Madison Blaine, Ms. Mary Pederson, Ms. Kathryn Alexander, A1C Timothy Turner, SRA Deja Hawkins, and Ms. Damona Hawks. Not pictured: Ms. Damona Hawks

12/22/2020

New Holiday Traditions

Eat, drink and be merry with these simple home food safety tips!

https://www.eatright.org/homefoodsafety/safety-tips/holidays/new-holiday-traditions

Eat, drink and be merry with these simple home food safety tips from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

12/21/2020

AFMS - Whiteman - 509th Medical Group

12/21/2020

Triggers are the things that make you want to smoke. Different people have different triggers, like a stressful situation, sipping coffee, going to a party, or smelling cigarette smoke.

Most triggers fall into one of these four categories:
• Emotional
• Pattern
• Social
• Withdrawal

Knowing your triggers and understanding the best way to deal with them is your first line of defense.

Learn more about these four triggers at: https://smokefree.gov/challenges-when-quitting/cravings-triggers/know-your-triggers

12/18/2020

The holidays are stressful...this year especially. Make sure that you do what's best for you and your loved ones.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/coping-holiday-stress.html

12/17/2020

MyPlate

Cooking is fun! Preparing meals at home can also help you make better choices about what and how much you eat and drink. If you don't usually cook, start gradually. Make it a goal to cook once a week and work up to cooking more. https://go.usa.gov/xAYfx

12/17/2020

CMSAF JoAnne S. Bass

I’ve learned over time that strong people focus less on themselves, and more on building others up around them.

Be that person.

It matters...and will make a world of difference in someone’s life, and your own.
#character #leadership #bettertogether #team19 #cultureweneed

12/17/2020

5 Relaxation Techniques for Better Sleep

Try out these relaxation techniques for better sleep:

1. Biofeedback techniques collect information about the body that alert you to stress and allow you to take steps to relax, mentally and physically.

2. There are a multitude of structured breathing exercises including “4-7-8” breathing. In a comfortable position, with your eyes open or closed:
• Inhale for four seconds
• Hold your breath for seven seconds
• Exhale slowly, for eight seconds
• Repeat several times

3. Guided imagery exercises engage all the senses in a focused period of imagination. Spending a few minutes engaged in a soothing, restful guided image journey can help you gently prepare the mind and body to sleep.

4. Progressive relaxation involves working, one at a time, with different areas and muscle groups of the body, first tensing and relaxing them. This cultivates an awareness of what both tension and relaxation feel like in your body.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sleep-newzzz/201701/5-relaxation-techniques-better-sleep

Expert approaches to draining stress and anxiety so you can power down.

12/16/2020

Use Shorter Workouts to Exercise When You Can

You may have heard that shorter workouts done throughout the day are just as effective at burning calories as one, longer workout. That’s great, but it’s confusing trying to figure out how to change your longer workouts into shorter ones.

If you only have 10 or 15 minutes at a time, how long should your warm-up be? What exercises should you do? How can you keep the intensity up to get an effective workout?

When it comes to cardio, there are a number of ways you can work hard in the time you have. The key is in the intensity of your workouts.

In general, the longer the workout, the lower the intensity should be. Similarly, the shorter the workout, the more intensity you should pump into your exercises.

https://www.verywellfit.com/make-time-for-exercise-with-shorter-workouts-1229763

You don't have to have an hour to exercise. It's possible to get a great workout in just 10 minutes. Learn how to use your time wisely.