HAWC has help for New Year's resolutions

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tiffany DeNault
  • 21st Space Wing Public Affairs
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  With the New Year right around the corner, what will your resolution be? Lose a few of those pesky pounds, bulk up or just learn a few tricks toward a healthier lifestyle?

The Health and Wellness Center is offering two new programs at the start of the New Year. One is the 5210 program for parents and children that kicks off Jan. 8, and the second program is a 12-week weight management program beginning Jan. 5.

"These two programs came out of the Washington, D.C., under the Healthcare to Health program," said E. Lindsay Buckalew, HAWC Health Promotion Flight commander. "Peterson AFB is one of six bases in the Air Force piloting these programs for the Air Force Medical Operations Agency and Air Force Medical Support Agency."

5210 stands for five servings of fruits and vegetables, two hours of screen time (television, computers, etc), one hour of any physical activity and zero sugary beverages.

Led by Tiffany Brunton, a registered dietitian, the 5210 is a four-week program where parents and children meet at 3:30 p.m. Thursdays for a 15 minute education session followed by 30 to 40 minutes of kid friendly activities. It will discuss developing healthy eating patterns, benefits of fruits and vegetables, how to decrease intake of sweetened beverages, creating healthy meals and how to decrease screen time and increase physical activity.

The program will also track their food intake, body mass index changes, screen time and others.

The HAWC is offering the 12-week weight management program for adults. Throughout the weeks adults will learn tricks to ease into a healthy lifestyle, lose body fat, discuss food intake and maintain everything for a long period of time.

"We teach people to find balance between the two most important parts of our lives which is the way we eat and physical activity," said Dana Johnson, HAWC Health Educator and instructor for the 12-week program.

The program is held in a group setting where the participants can lean on each other, relate to each other, learn together and share the same struggles and accomplishments, Johnson said.

Participants will come in every week and learn one trick or change to their lifestyle to try out for a week, then the next week the change is discussed and they will learn another small change.

"I'm not going to tell you that you can't eat cake, cookies or candy because me saying that you can't do that could mean that you might not come back (to the class) and it's just unrealistic that you are going to cut out all junk food," explained Johnson. "But I'm going to teach you how to incorporate junk food into your healthy diet every now and then so you don't totally feel deprived."

Participants in the current course have lost an average of 8.5 pounds in six weeks and an average of 2.3 inches on their waist.

"I love what I do. I love teaching people how to be healthy and still be happy, because some people are healthy but miserable with their lives," said Johnson.

In addition to these two new programs the HAWC still offers Domination Boot Camp, Bod Pod Body Fat Assessment, VO2 Max Fitness Assessment, Biomechanical Gait Analysis and more.

For more information on any of the programs at the HAWC call 556-HAWC (4292) or email hawc.peterson@us.af.mil.

 

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