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Focus on Fitness
By Gina Gillespie
Fitness coordinators, directors and instructors from every Canadian base attended the “Focus on Fitness” conference.Photo: Lyndon Goveas |
Fitness reps from every base in the country turned up for “Focus on Fitness,” CFPSA’s national fitness conference held November 8-9, 2005 in Gatineau, Quebec.
“Optimism about the future of CF fitness was generated,” says Mike Taylor, CFPSA National Fitness Manager.
For the first time in 20 years, there are substantial changes to how CF members approach health and fitness. Many changes are related to web delivery, and a new program called WebXPRES was a hot topic at the conference.
When it’s online (trials are currently planned for April,) fitness staff can make bookings, record results and access fitness prescriptions electronically. CF members can then tap into these prescriptions online. The web site will link to related sites on wellness, nutrition, sports and health promotion.
“In the past we’ve just been focused on the person’s V02 max, how fast they run, or how many push ups they do,” says Taylor. “WebXPRES presents an opportunity to go beyond fitness to a concept called wellness.”
Other focus groups at the conference dealt with army, navy, air force and reserve issues, as well as fitness standards and protocols and a national versus provincial policy discussion group.
Wayne Lee, CFPSA’s Director of Health Promotion and Human Performance spoke on the evolution of fitness testing and programs over the past quarter century, while Howie Wenger, a professor in the School of Physical Education at the University of Victoria, talked about the future of CF fitness.
The conference attracted 75 fitness coordinators, directors and instructors, half of whom stayed to attend the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Conference held November 10-12, 2005, also in Gatineau.
Taylor credits the success of the conference to Marie Danais, CFPSA National Physical Fitness Coordinator, who organized the conference while training for her fourth triathalon of the season.
“The most important thing to come from this conference, was it made us feel more like a team than we’ve ever felt before,” says Taylor. “The CFPSA motto ‘Serving Those Who Serve,’ was well-attended to at this conference.”