The Space Force has launched a two-year pilot program to see how well it can manage a unit’s physical strength with a much lighter touch than the regular military.
The newest branch of the U.S. military is recruiting volunteers through June 30 for a study using Garmin watches and Oular rings to monitor heart, respiratory and musculoskeletal health. If successful, the effort could pave the way for the Pentagon’s first large-scale system to track readiness using wearable technology to replace annual physical fitness tests.
“For the entire Department of Defense, we are committed to finding better ways to support our members throughout their lives, on the job, and beyond,” said James Christensen, who is in charge of the study at the Air Force Research Laboratory. Yes,” said James Christensen, a researcher at the Air Force Research Laboratory, on an episode of the podcast. The service was released on Tuesday.
The program is one of three pillars in a new plan to improve the health of all Space Force units, formally announced Wednesday.
This effort is about getting people to understand the proposition that fitness is more than going to the gym. This emphasizes a more holistic range of “health prevention” practices to avoid illness and complications and promote mental health such as proper nutrition and sleep habits. It also includes educational elements to add these concepts to existing training.
“I think physical fitness not only improves cognitive performance in the workplace, but it reduces absenteeism and increases well-being. It has all sorts of benefits,” Space Command Chief Sergeant Roger Tauberman said on the podcast.
The Space Force’s willingness to break the mold recognizes how ubiquitous wearable fitness technology is in modern life, and the service cuts the pitfalls of other military fitness regimes that prioritize standards over performance. It shows hope that it can be avoided.
Because space operations involve more desk work than other military missions, such as sitting at satellite control consoles and monitoring missile launch data on computers, Space Force personnel require specific strength and endurance training. Instead, they want to judge soldiers by their general health.
Any Space Force guardian in uniform can participate in wearable research. Those who qualify will be exempt from regular physical fitness tests during their participation.
PT testing is suspended for all parents until July 1 while people decide whether to enroll in the study. If you do not opt-in, you should resume annual testing as normal by the end of September.
During the trial, parents will be asked to wear the trackers while exercising so the Space Force can collect data from device makers.
The researchers will look at how hard people are exercising based on the time recorded with an elevated heart rate, military spokesman Maj. Tanya Downworth said. It also tracks monthly the amount of oxygen your body uses during training, a metric known as VO2 max.
Downsworth said parents should log up to one minute of push-ups each month.
Units will not be penalized for their results, but if the service determines that their approach is harming parents rather than helping them, or if parents do not comply with the terms of the study, they will be asked to leave. there is a possibility.
General David Thompson, the deputy chief of space operations and the number two officer in the force, warned the force not to overdo it.
“The standard is not ‘I have to go to the gym and train five times a week.'” [for] Two hours,” he said. “This criterion really suits what we want people to do just healthily. About three times a week, his heart rate rises for 30 to 45 minutes.”
For now, anyone participating in the study must wear a Space Force-issued device. If the participant already owns her Garmin or Oura products, they can use their own.
The service had explored more automated options for tracking members’ health, but scaled back due to privacy concerns.
“Participants only need to wear the device when they engage in purposeful physical activity; otherwise, use is voluntary,” the service said, adding that it does not collect GPS data.
“Data imported from wearable device manufacturers will be limited to fitness data required by the program and will be stored on systems that have been evaluated for cybersecurity compliance and approved for operation in military networks,” it added. “Only limited researchers with a need to know have access to the information.”
Those working in sensitive compartments of information facilities should consult their superiors about whether they can wear their devices within the classified area, but that’s not required for research, Thompson said. rice field. Some parents from overseas may not be able to participate due to local safety concerns.
Parents who do not participate in the study will continue to undergo an Air Department physical fitness test, a series of runs and walks, and strength and endurance training such as push-ups and sit-ups. Also, the Air Force’s body composition standards, which were revised last month, were revised to include waist-to-height ratio measurements.
To support all parents, no matter what path they choose, the Space Force has established support teams focused on nutrition, exercise and mental health. These groups plan to fully staff each Space Force base with primarily civilian personnel by early 2024.
“We believe this is the gateway to cultural change within the unit, where fitness can be gamified, and important friendly competition between offices and individuals can take place. ‘ said Tauberman. “There has never been a successful military in history without physical training together as a team.”
Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times in March 2021 as a senior reporter. Her work has been published in Air Force Magazine, Inside Defense, Inside Health Policy, The Frederick News Post (Maryland), The Washington Post, and others.
