November 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 16

Front Page
Healthy and Strong
Military recreation programs keep U.S. service members
and their families in fighting shape
By Peter Magnuson

t's true that active military personnel are required to participate in physical
activity on a daily basis. But health and wellness is more than a good workout. It also encompasses healthy living, proper nutrition and emotional
well-being. For park and recreation professionals working in the armed forces,
this full scope is especially important as they work to address the overall health
and wellness of more than 5 million active and reserve personnel and their
families. Accomplishing this mission requires focus, innovation and outreach.

At the highest level, the Department of Defense (DoD) supports two
key initiatives aimed at the health of
armed forces personnel and their
families. The first is Operation Live
Well, which focuses on " proper nutrition, physical activity, avoidance
of risky behaviors and emotional
well-being. " At the core of this initiative is a website that serves as a portal
for information and military-related programs that center on five key
14

Parks & Recreation

areas: integrative wellness, physical
activity, nutrition, tobacco-free living
and mental wellness. In addition to
information and program links, this
site offers coaching, downloadable
apps for tracking physical activity
and nutritional intake, and links to
virtual training resources.
Supporting Operation Live Well is
the Healthy Base Initiative (HBI), a
yearlong program that launched this
year at 14 sites across the country.

| N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 | W W W. N R PA . O R G

According to the website, " obesity
and tobacco use among U.S. military
healthcare beneficiaries add more
than $3 billion per year to the DoD
budget in healthcare costs and lost
duty days. " To combat these issues,
HBI will work with installation-based
schools on healthy eating, create a
new health and wellness assessment
for military personnel and their families, and focus on tobacco education
and smoking cessation.
In addition to these high-level initiatives, each branch of the military, as
well as each installation, has its own
programs, resources and initiatives
aimed at addressing the health and
wellness of active and reserve personnel and their families as well as retirees.
Here are just a few examples of innovative health and wellness programs
taking place in the armed forces.
Mission Nutrition is a Navy initiative aimed at curbing obesity. The
program has many facets, including training for Morale, Welfare
and Recreation (MWR) fitness instructors and culinary specialists
on nutrition topics affecting sailors,
family members and retirees. In addition, the program's website offers
healthy recipes as well as detailed
information to help sailors understand what they eat and the impact
it has on their energy levels.
Since family schedules can be hectic, the Air Force is experimenting
with 24-hour fitness centers and
delivering on-demand fitness classes via video kiosks.

November 2013 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2013 - Parks & Recreation