U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart Public Affairs Office
If you are like most people, you look to the new year as a chance to start fresh. Experts estimate that one in three Americans resolve to better themselves in some way every January.
If one of your goals is is to take better care of yourself and get healthy, you don’t have to go it alone.
Locally, U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart has a plethora of programs and resources designed to help keep you active so that you can be at your prime physically.
The Family and MWR Sport and Fitness team will kick off the New Year with three free programs that provide support and accountability to its participants.
Lose to Win
Lose to Win is the local community’s version of “The Biggest Loser,” a reality show where contestants attempt to lose the most weight. Lose to Win is a 16-week competition to determine who can lose the most weight and body fat in a healthy manner while encouraging participants to adopt healthy lifestyle habits. Categories include men, women and teams of two.
Registration and a mandatory initial weigh-in will be held Jan. 7 at the Patch Fitness Center from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and at the Kelley Fitness Center from 11 a.m. to noon.
The program will conclude in May.
Tour De Stuttgart
Tour de Stuttgart is a 10-month program designed to increase fitness levels through indoor and outdoor cycling.
Participants will track their miles of indoor and outdoor cycling, and will earn a T-shirt when they reach the 500, 1,000, 1,500, and 2,000 mile points. Participants can earn miles from indoor cycling classes, commuting to work, recreational cycling and while on a trainer.
The tour kicks off Jan. 24 with at a free, three-hour long Spinathon at the Patch Fitness Center from 9 a.m. to noon.
Fitness Fest
The Fitness Fest, scheduled for Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. to noon at all fitness centers, gives participants the opportunity to try out a variety of free, shortened group fitness classes such as Zumba, yoga and indoor cycling, and meet the instructors.
Army Wellness Center
The Stuttgart Army Wellness Center on Patch Barracks provides prevention programs and services designed to build and sustain good health and improve the overall healthy lifestyles of its clients. Programs are evidence-based and use state-of-the art equipment.
Fitness Assessments
Oxygen consumption is measuring during exercise to assess the participant’s degree of cardiovascular fitness. Muscular strength, body composition and flexibility tests complete the comprehensive fitness assessment.
Metabolic testing
This simple test measures one’s resting metabolic rate. The air you breathe out is analyzed to determine exactly how much oxygen your body consumes. Once completed, your metabolic rate is used to calculate a calorie range for weight loss, weight maintenance, or even weight gain.
Biofeedback sessions
Individually paced biofeedback sessions will teach you how to recognize and manage your stress levels. By using interactive computer technology, you will see your stress management skills improve over time.
Fitness Consultation
A fitness consultation will help you assess your fitness program and set realistic goals.
Setting Goals
According to experts, people who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t explicitly make resolutions.
A simple method to ensure that you are setting good goals is to use the Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely (SMART) method.
If the goal is SMART, it stands a much better chance of being achieved.
- Specific — Define the expected end result clearly. What are you going to achieve and what should it look like when it is completed?
- Measurable — Incorporate short-term or small measurements along the way that can gauge progress toward the end goal. Mark progress along the way.
- Attainable — Ensure that the end goal can be achieved. Getting commitment to an unachievable goal will be difficult and could doom the project to failure before it begins.
- Realistic — Define appropriate expectations and assign the required resources. Do not overload resources with unrealistic workloads.
- Timely — Set deadlines for the goal. Clearly state a point in time when the goal should be met. Establishing an end point on your goal will give you a clear target for which to strive.
The Stuttgart Army Wellness Center is located in Building 2337 and is open from 7:30 a.m. to noon, and from 1-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 590-1601/civ. 06371-9464-1601.
For more information on Family and MWR Sports and Fitness programs, visit www.stuttgart.armymwr.com .
Popular resolutions
According to the University of Scranton’s Journal of Clinical Psychology, the top resolutions for 2014 were:
- Lose weight
- Getting organized
- Spend less, save more
- Enjoy life to the fullest
- Staying fit and healthy
- Learn something exciting
- Quit smoking
- Help others in their dreams
- Fall in love
- Spend more time with family