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A message from DFit

Promoting HEALTH & FITNESS

PSP Director of Fitness

Volume 7, Number 2 • June 2012

For the better part of the past 3 years, the focus of this newsletter has been on program growth where DFIT and Base/Wing Fitness and Health Promotion efforts and initiatives were highlighted. While the primary focus of the DFIT newsletter will continue to be on fitness and health promotion programming, this and future editions will also address some of the questions or concerns that we have received with regards to the impact of the Strategic Review (SR) on your fitness or health promotion program. In this edition you’ll find 2 submissions; the first provides an overview of the SR impact on PSP Fitness while the second provides clarification on the role of the Fitness Leader.

PSP Fitness Strategic Review Reductions

The PSP Fitness budget was reduced by 1.5M or 7% of DFIT’s overall operating budget (Field/HQ salaries, HQ O&M). As presented by Chief PSP and PSP Managers on 16 May, these funding reductions will be achieved on 31 March 2013 by deleting 8 DFIT HQ positions, 8 Fitness and Sports Instructor positions, and converting 40 Fitness and Sports Instructors to Fitness Leaders.

Throughout the SR decision making process, our focus was based on two principles: i. maintaining priority activities passed on by both CF and PSP leadership (care of the ill and injured, Project FORCE); and ii. minimizing the impact of our reductions on front line fitness programs and services.

The outcome of this exercise was not without its consequences. The most significant being the conversion of Fitness and Sports Instructors to Fitness Leaders which will require a shift in how Base/Wing fitness programs are managed. From a HQ perspective, the loss of 8 DFIT HQ positions will impact our directorate’s ability to integrate with commands and reduce our ability to research, develop and implement collective fitness standards and programs. Despite these reductions, we remain committed to our mandate and will ensure that activities that most contribute to improving physical performance, health and operational effectiveness are fully supported by our directorate.

Fitness Leader; is it just a Fitness and Sports Instructor by another name?

The simple answer to the titled question is “no”. The Fitness Leader was established in 2009 to facilitate recruiting of Base/Wing fitness staff who may not meet Fitness and Sports Instructor qualification requirements but could offer specialized skills in delivering group fitness classes (Olympic lifts, combat conditioning, etc). Fitness Leaders can instruct group physical fitness sessions, assist the FSI in the delivery of evaluations and assist with the organisation and implementation of sports and recreation events. However, unlike Fitness and Sports instructors, they cannot provide individual exercise prescriptions or sign off on sanctioned CF EXPRES fitness evaluations. The conversion of 40 Fitness and Sports instructors on 31 March 2012 will undoubtedly cause challenges by shifting some of the fitness delivery responsibilities. Nonetheless, our DFIT delivery team remains committed to providing local fitness personnel with the necessary support, training, and tools to minimize the impact Base and Wing programs.

As a first step, the Senior Fitness Manager has scheduled conference calls the week of 13-17 August with Directors and/or Coordinators to answer questions or concerns some of you may have with regards to the Fitness Leader position.

In this Issue2 OperationalFitnessTraining website:DFIT.CAtrial

2 NewCorporate(HQ)website www.cfpsa.com

3 FullFORCE!(Fitnessfor OperationalRequirementsof CFEmployment)

3 HealthandWellness ChallengeUpdate

3 BFTAandtheNavy: MakingWavesinFitness

4 RoyalCanadianAirForce releasestheHealthy LifestyleCourse

4 RaisingAwarenessaboutthe PSPReconditioningProgram

GreatWorkintheField

5 CFB/ASUWainrightInterUnit HealthandPhysicalFitness Challenge2012

6 KeepingUHPRsintheLoop

6 CFBKingstonHealthPromotion GetsTotheBottomof TheBottle!

7 PSPEsquimalt: AHighPerformanceTeam

7 WarriorFitnessTraining forWomen

8 DGPFSSlongserviceaward

8 MeetCFBComox

New Corporate (HQ) website www.cfpsa.comPlease visit the revised Health and Fitness section (Directorate of Fitness) where you will find information and resources on PSP Fitness and Health Promotion as well as newsreels on field and HQ success stories. The site is a work in progress, if you have any comments or ideas please contact Jacqueline.Laframboise@forces.gc.ca

Operational Fitness Training website: DFIT.CA trialThe Directorate of Fitness (DFit) recently initiated a trial of the www.DFit.ca web based fitness platform with Base/Wing fitness personnel. The objective of the trial is for local fitness personnel to familiarize themselves with this new tool and for our directorate to gather key stakeholder feedback. Training Webinars were coordinated and your initial feedback captured. Over the next few months your continued engagement will assist DFIT in making the necessary amendments to the site prior to its official launch to the CF in the fall of 2012. Continued feedback can be provided through the forum section of DFit.ca or sent to +Dfit-Cphysd@CMP PSP@Ottawa-Hull.

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FULL FORCE! (Fitness for Operational Requirements of CF Employment)By Rachel Blacklock Human Performance Research Manager, PSP HQ

It’s been full FORCE for Project FORCE over the last two months. April kicked off with pilot trials (smaller version of major project to work out the kinks) at Asticou Centre, Gatineau, Quebec, aimed at validating test re-test reliability (do you get the same results when you do the test again and again) and trialing all equipment and logistical requirements for the project’s major data collection to begin May, 2012. 75 enthusiastic CF participants from the Ottawa region sweated for research during 4 non-consecutive days over a 2 week period. Between pilot testing days, the FORCE team also presented the new 6 common tasks along with the game plan for the next 8 months to Armed Forces Council (AFC). AFC, which includes the CDS himself, granted the official go-ahead and offered some supportive key guiding principles: Ensure scientific rigour and validity; keep it simple; encompass all three environments; and ensure it is deliverable at the unit level.

Project FORCE hit the road May 5th, 2012, the beginning of an enormous cross-country data collection that will involve testing over 600 male and female CF personnel from all 3 environments, occupations, ages, heights and fitness/activity levels. First stop was 17 Wing Winnipeg for two weeks, where the FORCE team (comprised of PSP staff from HQ augmented by staff from Winnipeg, Borden, St Jean, Wainwright and Edmonton as well as military support staff) was welcomed with wonderful hospitality and great weather. All went well and with the exception of a mid-day power outage, it was testing as usual. Followed soon by Shilo, Petawawa, Valcartier, Halifax/Shearwater.

Research Manager Phil Newton presenting one of the new 6 common tasks, Vehicle Extrication, to the CDS

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BFTA and The Navy:

Making Waves in Fitness

The busy winter PSP Training Centre scheduled included stops at CFB Esquimalt and CFB Halifax to deliver

2 Basic Fitness Training Assistant (BFTA) courses. “It’s great to see Navy expanding its use of the BFTA” says

Howie Woodruff, PSP Training Centre Manager. The Directing Staff were also hosted by one of the BFTA Students

and visited HMCS Ville de Quebec. “This provided us with some unique insight and a first hand appreciation of the

challenges local PSP and military staff face when they’re deployed on Ship” says Mr. Woodruff. The students on

both courses indicated that the BFTA is a positive step for improving the delivery of physical training. “My training

from the BFTA course has given me a tremendous foundation for the tools that I use for each of the classes I put

on” as mentioned by LS Korey Tynes, a BFTA graduate, in an article printed in the Trident on 2 April, 2012,

“Hitting the deck for fitness at sea”.

Health and Wellness Challenge UpdateBy Chris Driscoll, Health promotion Delivery Manager, HQ PSP

The CF Health and Wellness Challenge wrapped up at the end of May and we are pleased to announce that it was a big success. Considering that it was the challenge’s inaugural year preliminary participation rates were promising, the resources developed were effective and some great initiatives were made by local bases/wings to improve upon the nationally developed

challenge content including web-based registration procedures, securing additional prizes, and creative marketing campaigns. Throughout the month of May members from the CF community kept a log of their healthy lifestyle choices to earn points and be eligible to win prize packs. It is hoped that the choices that were made in the areas of social wellness, addictions awareness and prevention, nutritional wellness, and injury prevention & active living will carry forward and become regular occurrences in the participants’ lives.

Looking ahead we hope to build upon this year’s momentum and hold the Health and Wellness Challenge again in 2013 with increased participation levels at each base/wing. Further, data collected from this year’s challenge will be used to improve the challenge by adapting the healthy choice options based on popularity and including targeted marketing strategies based on participant demographics. Thank you and congratulations to all those who participated!

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LS Korey Tynes (front) a Sonar Operator onboard

HMCS Charlottetown, conducts a fitness training

class on the flight deck during Operation ACTIVE

ENDEAVOUR with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1

in the Mediterranean Sea on Feb. 3, 2012.

CPL RONNIE KINNIE, HMCS CHARLOTTETOWN.

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Royal Canadian Air Forcereleases the Healthy Lifestyle CourseBy Todd Stride, AF Physical Fitness Manager, PSP HQ

A major tenet of the RCAF Health and Physical Fitness Strategy (CANAIRGEN 01/12) is life-long access to health awareness and physical fitness programs. The RCAF Healthy Lifestyle course which was recently developed by Directorate Force Health Protection (DFHP) and supported by Directorate of Fitness (DFIT), allows Units and Sqns to incorporate health promotion practices into their annual training plans and is scheduled for roll-out on 1 April 2012. An AF Workshop was held in Winnipeg 28-29 Feb 12 and the majority of Wing Health Promotion Directors attended. The Workshop was organised by D Air Pers Mgt and was intended to primarily to provide training to all participants on the contents of the RCAF H&PF lifestyle course and to discuss implementation at the local level. 1 Cdn Air Div CWO and 1 Cdn Air Div Surgeon both participated in the workshop, and provided encouraging words for all present.

The RCAF Healthy Lifestyle course is part of a comprehensive plan by the RCAF to actively encourage and facilitate healthy lifestyles and fitness activity in order to sustain operational readiness. To assist this end, all RCAF Units and Squadrons have been directed by the Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force to conduct an internal assessment of their unit’s health promotion training requirements, and are to work with their local Wing Surgeon and PSP Health Promotion staff to create a tailored program and to use the RCAF Healthy Lifestyle materials to meet their needs.

Raising Awareness about the PSP Reconditioning ProgramBy Jen Seipp, Communications Advisor

The PSP Reconditioning Program provides

customized fitness training programs for CF

personnel throughout recovery from serious

illnesses and injuries. The program has

established a network of Regional Adapted

Fitness Specialists (RAFS) and Physical

Exercise Specialists (PES) who work in CF

communities across the country.

These experienced fitness professionals

work in close partnership with Canadian

Forces Health Services, the Joint Personnel

Support Unit, and Soldier On to provide one-

on-one and group training. They develop

personal fitness plans that could include

everything from community yoga classes to

Soldier On activities. Each plan is focused

on helping the client improve personal

fitness, set and achieve fitness goals, and

ultimately return to active duties if possible.

To draw attention to this important program,

PSP has created numerous communications

materials including a brochure, poster,

newspaper articles, and a video posted

along with new content on our website.

Please take a look at the video, and keep

your eye out for the posters and brochures

on your local base/wing. To learn more

about the reconditioning services provided

in your community, contact your local RAFS.

September 2011 saw the launch of CFB/ASU’s

second annual Inter Unit Health and Physical Fitness

Challenge. From 16 September 2011 through to 31 May

2012, 325+ individuals and sub-units within CFB/ASU’s

three main units (CMTC, ASU and LFWATC) registered

their physical training activities, aiming to be the unit to

accumulate the highest number of points by the end of

the challenge. Point allocation was based on the Award

of Aerobic Excellence program with additional activities

added to encompass the overall aim of the challenge

(for example yoga, weight training etc). In addition,

points were available for participation to the various

Health Promotion activities and courses on offered at

CFB/ASU Wainwright.

LFWATC took home the Unit pride and were the overall

challenge winners, although ultimately, everyone wins.

Final results for the challenge were as follows, with

points weighted according to unit strength:

1. LFWATC: 51,250 TOTAL points logged

( 7,083 Unit PT points)

2. ASU: 46,431 TOTAL points logged

(14,903 Unit PT points)

3. CMTC: 42,248 TOTAL points logged

( 2,122 Unit PT points)

Together all 3 teams accomplished the equivalent of:

- 252,333 km cycled (6.3x around the world at the equator); or

- 84,111 km running (2.1x around the world at the equator).

The longer duration of the challenge was designed

to not only recognise the training accomplished

by individuals and units, but to also be the catalyst

towards the adaptation of healthier lifestyle activities

and choices, congruent with the CF Health and Fitness

Strategy goals at CFB/ASU Wainwright.

To encourage general physical activity and training, as

well as inter-unit competitiveness, PSP Wainwright

will continue the Inter-Unit Health and Physical Fitness

Challenge for the third consecutive year, starting in

conjunction with the Terry Fox run September 2012.

Picture (L to R): LCol SR Kelsey, CO LFWATC;

JF Mahon, PSP Mgr; CWO GA Crosby, RSM LFWATC.

Picture courtesy of MCpl Pete Simpson, CFB/ASU Wainwright,

B Imagery.

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Great Work in the Field

CFB/ASU Wainwright Inter Unit Health and Physical Fitness Challenge 2012By: Sarah Smiley, Fitness Coordinator

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CFB Kingston Health Promotion Gets To The Bottom of The Bottle! By Nicole Houghtaling, Health Promotion Manager, CFB Kingston

In January 2012 CFB Kingston Health Promotion partnered with the RMCC Athletic Department to discuss questions

regarding energy drinks. Of particular interest were the negative health concerns in the news referencing the

consumption of energy drinks AND the increased use of energy drinks by young adults for its alleged stimulant effect

during busy study times and when mixed with alcohol during social times.

In an attempt to educate the students and staff at RMCC about the

potential negative health effects of energy drink over-consumption,

an article was written and a poster campaign titled, “Powered by

Me!” (en français c’est “Propulsé par moi!”) was created to bring

awareness to these realities and celebrate that you can get through

RMC without energy drinks . These posters were distributed

throughout the College over the month of January as a reminder

of the concerns. Contests were run on campus throughout the

term to help bring awareness and celebrate students that are

consciously choosing to be “powered by themselves”. The

goal was to pull back the “sexy” marketing of these drinks and

educate people about the realities of their over-consumption on

human physiology.

For full article go to the newsreels on the home page of the

PSP’s Fitness and Health section of the new www.cfpsa.com

Right to left: PE Manager, Kelly Lupton, Varsity Fencing Coach, Patricia Howes, and CFB Kingston Health Promotion Manager, Nicole Houghtaling

Keeping UHPRs in the LoopBy Chris Driscoll, Health promotion Delivery Manager, HQ PSP

The health promotion team at CFB Esquimalt has started the great initiative

of providing their network of Unit Health Promotion Representatives (UHPRs)

with a dedicated newsletter. This monthly publication covers a range of

topics including upcoming courses and events, information on campaigns

and challenges, general tips and even UHPR profiles. This new resource will

ensure that the CF members UHPR volunteers at CFB Esquimalt can be kept up-to-date on all matters health

promotion and pass along the information to the members of their respective units. Well done to the Esquimalt

HP Team!

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PSP Esquimalt: A High Performance TeamBy Dave Molinari, PSP Manager, CFB Esquimalt

7Volume 7 • Number 2

The smile card is a great way to informally recognize a staff member or co-worker while reinforcing critical values that are ultimately designed to improve the quality of service that we provide to fellow PSP employees and clients alike. These principles tie in to our communication and marketing strategy. For a copy of the PSP Esquimalt communication and marketing strategy, please contact Dave Molinari, PSP Manager, CFB Esquimalt.

PositivityTrustConstructive InteractionOptimismRespectClear and Effective CommunicationCamaraderieDeep Democracy

ProductivityResourcefulnessAlignment of Goals/StrategiesTeam LeadershipAccountabilityProactivityEffective & Efficient Decision Making

PSP CFB Esquimalt is striving to be a high performance team. In order to do so, the team defined a number of operational productivity and positivity values that are associated with high performance teams. Adopting these values wasn’t sufficient, we believe that you need to live these values...and that is how the smile card came to be. Staff are recognized with a smile card when they do a good job and demonstrate behaviour or performance that relates to one or more of our mutually agreed upon team values listed above:

Warrior Fitness Training for WomenBy Simon Bélanger, Fitness Manager, Saint-Jean Garrison

On January 16, 2012, at the request of the Canadian Forces Leadership Recruit School (CFLRS) Commanding Officer, PSP staff initiated a program titled Warrior Fitness Training for Women (WFT-W). The WTF-W is part of the Warrior Preparation Company (WPC) but provides specialty fitness programming for female recruits in hopes of increasing the overall BMQ success rate and the overall number of female in the CF. Female recruits who fail their initial fitness evaluation at the CFLRS are transferred immediately to the WFT-W.

The program emphasises developing muscle strength to improve their overall performance on their fitness evaluation, in particular push up performance. Participants receive two fitness training sessions per day 5 days a week and receive ongoing support from the Health Promotion team. Progress is monitored throughout and a variety of techniques are used to progress the training (shown in photos).

For more detailed information, please contact Mr. Simon Belanger at simon.belanger@forces.gc.ca

PSP ESQUIMALT VALUES:

<PSP Employee> <PSP Department>

<PSP Employee> <Date of the smile>

<Living a value? Doing amazing work? Spreading joy? What specifically have you noticed that makes you smile?>

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Meet CFB Comox

Front Row L to R:

Katie Kennedy - FSI, Jude Ireland - Sport Store Supervisor, Mike Chatwin – Facility Coord, Andy Moorehead –

FS&R Director, David Buckley-Jones, Rec Coord Asst, Eryn Jewitt – PES, Stephane Rainville, Fit Coord.

Back row L to R:

Noel Wallace – FSI, Hillary Murray- Aquatic Supervisor, Veronique Dion – FSI & Facility Asst, Jane Bekus –

FS&R AA, Julie Duncan-Bailey - FSI, Leslie Currie – Sport Store Asst, Jake Plante - Sport Coord.

Missing from Picture:

Bobbie Howard-Muir - PSP Manager, Kathi Cameron - HP Dir, Maggie Norman - HP Dir AA.

DGPFSS long service award

Recently, Mr Howie Woodruff, PSP Trg Ctr Department Head, and Mr. Duane Farrell, PSP Trg Ctr Directing

Staff, received their respective 15 and 10 year long service award. Congrats to Howie and Duane for their

dedication and hard work to the PSP division in these past years.