Air Force Personnel Center - AF Fitness Program

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Revisions to the Air Force fitness program took effect July 1, 2010. These modifications, improvements and upgrades brought about some of the most significant changes to fitness standards in the last five years and shift a greater level of responsibility for maintaining year-round physical fitness to all Airmen.

The Air Force Fitness Program goal is to motivate Airmen to participate in a year-round physical conditioning program that emphasizes total fitness, to include proper aerobic conditioning, strength and flexibility training, and healthy eating. Health benefits from an active lifestyle will increase productivity, optimize health, and decrease absenteeism while maintaining a higher level of readiness.

Fitness News

Force support officer wins presidential fitness award
7/26/2010 - RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- His peers and his wife said he was crazy, but that didn't stop Joseph Mastrianna from achieving a personal workout best and earning a top fitness award. Mastrianna, U.S. Air Forces in Europe Manpower, Personnel, and Services deputy director, completed 37.5 miles in five hours on an elliptical machine at the fitness center here June 4. With that, the colonel also hit the 1 million point milestone to earn the elite Platinum Status in the President's Fitness Challenge. Read entire article

CMSAF discusses PT standards at Aviano AB
7/19/2010 - During his tour around Europe, the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Roy stopped by Aviano Air Base to talk about issues facing Airmen. Among the key issues during his visit was testing under the new PT standards. Watch the video here.

What's New?

Airmen transition into new fitness program

Fitness Assessment

The Air Force uses an overall composite fitness score and minimum scores per component based on aerobic fitness, body composition and muscular fitness components to determine an overall fitness. The assessment components are comprised of:

Body composition evaluated by abdominal circumference measurements
Aerobic component evaluated by the 1.5-mile timed run
Muscular fitness component evaluated by the number of pushups and sit-ups completed within one minute

Members not medically cleared to complete the 1.5-mile run will be assessed through an alternative aerobic test consisting of a 1.0-mile walk as determined by the exercise physiologist/fitness program manager unless otherwise exempted.

All components of the fitness assessment must be completed within a three-hour window on the same day.

The body composition assessment, to include height, weight and abdominal circumference measurements, is performed by fitness assessment cell staff and must be the first component assessed. The abdominal circumference is used to obtain the body composition component score instead of the Body Mass Index, or BMI. Height and weight are not factored into the composite score.

The muscular fitness components, including pushups and sit-ups, may be accomplished before or after the 1.5-mile run (or 1-mile walk test for eligible members). There is a minimum three-minute rest period between components.

Fitness assessments will be completed by fitness assessment cell staff. Where no fitness assessment cell exists, assessments will be conducted by a certified unit fitness program manager or physical training leader.

Scoring

Members will receive age and gender-specific composite scores based on the following maximum component scores: 60 points for aerobic, 20 points for body composition, 10 points for pushups and 10 points for sit-ups.

Those with duty limiting conditions prohibiting them from performing one or more components of the fitness assessment will have a composite score calculated on the assessed components. Members must achieve a minimum of 75 adjusted points, based on points available, and meet minimum component standards.

Fitness Categories

Airmen who fitness test will receive a score in one of three categories:

Excellent: Composite score equal to or greater than 90 with all minimum components met.
Satisfactory: Composite score of 75 - 89.99 with all minimum components met.
Unsatisfactory: Composite score less than 75 and/or one or more minimum components not met.

Those with exemptions testing in one to three components, will be categorized as:

Pass: Adjusted composite score equal to or greater than 75 with all tested component minimums met.
Fail: Adjusted composite score less than 75 and/or one or more tested component minimums not met.
Exempt: All four components exempted.

Fitness Patch

Airmen achieving and maintaining excellent fitness assessment scores will be allowed to wear a patch on their PT uniform recognizing their accomplishments.

The patch is presently in the production stage. Credit for fitness assessment scores toward wear of a patch becomes effective July 1, 2010. Officials anticipate availability of the fitness patches in military clothing sales stores to be late summer.

Design & Symbolism

The physical fitness patch features a blue, stylized human figure over a representation of a globe, encircled by a red or gray band inscribed "AIR FORCE FITNESS" at the top and "EXCELLENCE" or "SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE" at the bottom. The patch for Airmen earning a perfect 100 score on their fitness test also feature two lightning bolts in white or blue on the outside bottom of the circle for one time or sustained scores, respectively. The globe represents the universal importance of fitness and the stylized human figure emphasizes the significance of striving for enhanced personal fitness for each Airman in today's Air Force.

Award Eligibility

There are four types of physical fitness patches:

Excellent: Airmen with a current fitness assessment score of equal to or greater than 90 and meeting all component minimum requirements.
Sustained Excellent: Airmen who score 90 or above on the fitness assessment four consecutive times over a two-year period and meeting all component minimum requirements.
One-time Perfect 100: Airmen demonstrating maximum performance with a current fitness assessment score of 100.
Sustained Perfect 100: Airmen demonstrating sustained maximum performance by scoring 100 points on their four most recent fitness assessments over a continuous two-year period. Airmen must meet the criteria on each subsequent test to continue to wear the badge.

Wear Policy

Physical fitness patches are authorized as an optional wear item to be worn on the right sleeve of the Air Force physical fitness T-shirt, long-sleeve shirt or sweatshirt. Airmen will only be allowed to wear the highest patch earned based their current fitness assessment score.

Document

Air Force Physical Fitness Patch (PDF)

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