'Warhorse’ leadership gains new physical fitness knowledge

Photo By Sgt. Maj. Andrew Porch | Master Sgt. Mark Skinner, current operations noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, runs on a treadmill to test his Vo2 intake at Fort Carson’s Army Wellness Center, Sept. 27, 2012. Testing an individual’s Vo2 intake will let him or her know the amount of oxygen their body can absorb during cardio respiratory fitness.  

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES

10.02.2012

Story by Staff Sgt. Andrew Porch 

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

FORT CARSON, Colo. – Gaining a maximum heart rate of 85 percent on a treadmill, counting a resting metabolic rate and receiving a body fat percentage with up to 99 percent accuracy are events officers and senior noncommissioned officers of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, participated in at Fort Carson’s Army Wellness Center, during the month of September.

More than 90 “Warhorse” Brigade leaders are not only receiving information on how to keep soldiers educated about programs available to them through the AWC, but are receiving the training firsthand.

“We are running through the leadership so they know what resources are available to their soldiers in the brigade,” said Tony Heinz, nurse educator and certified personal trainer with the America College of Sports Medicine.

Leadership is taking part in three portions of training education; a fitness test aimed to test Vo2 max, which is how much oxygen the body can absorb during cardio respiratory fitness; Bod Pod testing, which uses air displacement to measure a soldier’s body fat percentage and a resting metabolic rate, which tests a soldier’s breathing pattern and lets them know whether they have low, normal or high metabolism.

“The leadership is going through everything,” said Heinz. “They are going to know what’s available and inform the soldiers from the top down.”

The brigade-wide study is the first of its kind and plans to test all overweight soldier assigned to 2nd BCT.

“We all think we are in better shape than we are,” said Master Sgt. Mark Skinner, current operations noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd BCT. “It will help soldiers and leaders see where they are and how they can get to where they want to be.”

Though leadership is the main focus right now, the main intent is to help soldiers become informed.

“[Soldiers] are going to say, OK our battalion commander, command sergeant major and first sergeant have been through this program and they vouch for it and they understand the importance of the program,” said Heinz.

Even though the program is unlike normal physical fitness education, the leaders know it is important.

“This is different than taking an Army Physical Fitness Test.” said Maj. Sean Heenan, brigade engineer, HHT. “It’s more thorough, accurate and scientific. It gives you a better understanding of where you are and how to get better.”

Additionally, the AWC offers tobacco cessation classes, which are geared toward helping soldiers quit smoking, and a massage chair, which provides soldiers feedback on how to control their breathing resulting in lowering stress.

For addition information contact the AWC at 719-526-3887, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Date Taken: 10.02.2012
• Date Posted: 10.02.2012 19:28
• Story ID: 95618
• Location: COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US