Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jacob L. Greenberg | 201211-N-DA693-1067 SAN DIEGO (Dec. 11, 2020) Dr. Scott Sutton, a physical therapist...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO - A team of physical therapists, health coaches, dietitians and sleep specialists led Sailors assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) through an all-inclusive exercise program, which concluded its pilot program Dec. 11.
Wellness and Readiness Operations (WAROps) classes consisted of three physical training sessions per week, plus virtual appointments with health coaches and dietitians to help participants meet their fitness goals.
"WAROps is a well-rounded approach to taking care of yourself," said Dr. Scott Sutton, a physical therapist assigned to Naval Medical Center San Diego's (NMCSD) Health and Wellness Department. "Sailors will become more mission ready, and live healthier, happier lives through exercise, better sleep and nutrition education. [The WAROps team] gives Sailors the tools to succeed."
During the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some Sailors may have lapsed in their physical readiness.
"Our aim was to educate participants that exercise can be fun, and doesn't have to be tedious or unenjoyable," said Sutton.
Sutton describe the average WAROps class as a multi-tiered approach to exercise.
"First, participants will sanitize their provided heartrate monitors, which give them and the WAROps instructors the ability to track calories burned, and provide conclusive data metrics," said Sutton. "After that, we'll all begin rolling out lower body muscles. Then, as a class, we'll break up into smaller groups and begin dynamic warm-ups, which consist of basic movement patterns like skips, lateral slides, front to back transitions while jogging and finally, dynamic stretching. These movements get everyone's heartrate up and the muscles primed to move onto, what I call, the 'meat and potatoes' of the session."
Post-dynamic warm-up exercises normally consist of different exercises focused in three categories.
"Many of us spend most of our days hunched over, so we do a lot of shoulder blade protraction, the rounding forward of the upper body," said Sutton. "We'll work on pushing, then pulling exercises to reopen the chest and strengthen the upper body. The other critical muscle group we focus on is in the legs. To work those, we'll do walking lunges and jogging."
WAROps is different than the Fitness Enhancement Program (FEP), in which some Sailors are enrolled.
"Our aim is to have WAROps be an all-encompassing education program," said Sutton. "This program isn't just performing basic exercises; it's a lifestyle shift."
In regard to lifestyle changes, WAROps participants also meet with a dietician to help meet their fitness and health goals.
"Most [WAROps] participants have similar goals of losing weight and getting stronger," said Julie Bornhoeft, a registered dietician assigned to NMCSD's Health and Wellness Department. "The weight loss aspect is dependent on the diet, and diet and exercise go hand-in-hand."
Bornhoeft provides weekly or biweekly nutrition coaching sessions, conducted via virtual appointments over the phone.
"All of my appointments are patient-led," said Bornhoeft. "I help guide the patient, and I want them to verbalize their goals. I then help direct them to meet those goals. It's really easy to say 'I want to lose weight,' or 'I want to eat better,' but I believe that's really hard to do unless you have a specific, achievable plan. I'm here to guide, not tell, participants what to do. I want to know what a participant wants to work on, and I'll help them achieve their goals."
Bornhoeft also leads a healthy cooking class, and holds one-on-one counseling sessions outside of WAROps.
"I'm very blessed to be given this opportunity to try and help Sailors," said Sutton. "I want people to start believing in themselves."
The Navy offers many opportunities for Sailors to change their lifestyle, get healthier and improve their physical strength. The dedicated staff members assigned to NMCSD's Health and Wellness Department have constructed and implemented an inclusive curriculum where Sailors can enjoy physical training, and watch themselves improve over the course of the class.
For more information on upcoming WAROps classes, or any other questions related to physical fitness or diet, contact NMCSD's Health and Wellness Department.
NMCSD's mission is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high quality healthcare services and shape the future of military medicine through education, training and research. NMCSD employs more than 6,000 active duty military personnel, civilians and contractors in Southern California to provide patients with world-class care anytime, anywhere.
Visit navy.mil or facebook.com/NMCSD for more information.
| Date Taken: | 12.11.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 12.23.2020 00:23 |
| Story ID: | 385551 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 564 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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