Domenici Fitness Center: 83,000 square feet of opportunity

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Colin Cates
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Fit to Fight is a common saying heard among military members. This phrase represents the standards of military fitness that should be upheld by all service members.

Holloman Air Force Base is committed to the Fit to Fight motto by offering one of the best fitness centers in the Air Force, along with many beneficial resources.

"The Domenici Fitness Center has an array of classes to choose from to get people on their way to a proper fitness start as well as help people achieve fitness goals," said Master Sgt. LaShawndra Bills, fitness center section chief.

The fitness center has built a schedule of classes and programs to try to meet the needs of a diverse group of people.

"We offer classes such as BODYBUMP designed to challenge your major muscle groups using a barbell and weights," said Bills.

"Cycling, is a cardio workout that can burn 500 calories during a session. It is a low-impact workout that suits people of all ages. Aqua Aerobics, is a class which begins with a 5 - 10 minute warmup followed by 40 minutes of cardio using noodles and water weights, finishing with abs and stretching. This workout is suitable for all levels of fitness. Aqua aerobics is known for being easy on the joints. These are only a few of the classes we provide."

"The Air Force has made a huge commitment to fitness over the last few years, and it shows with the type of fitness centers and programs available to Airmen," said Bills.

The Air Force fitness program goal is to motivate Airmen to participate in conditioning programs that emphasize 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, according to an article published on the the Air Force Personnel Center website.

"Classes are broken into different components to break up the monotony of doing the same exercises every day while avoiding overtraining the participants," said Bills. "The fitness center offers not just traditional fitness programs, there is also a club fitness class offered by volunteers of the Crossfit Holloman Club."

"My fitness goal for 2014 is to get stronger in Crossfit, run another full marathon and complete the Tough Mudder in April," said Staff Sgt. Sabina Land, noncommissioned officer In charge, Wing Command Section.

The fitness center also houses the Health and Wellness Center.

"Guests can visit the HAWC and work with an exercise physiologist and nutritional specialist for free to get educated on meal plans and specific fitness needs," said Bills.

Airmen can also seek out a personal fitness program that caters more to their needs.

"We currently have two certified military personal trainers on staff and two individual service- contract personal trainers that can assist with proper health and eating habits as well as provide good workout routines and one on one or group fitness sessions," said Bills.

Team Holloman members have the opportunity to enjoy spending their physical training time at this state-of-the-art facility each week. The center has a wide range of individual and team athletic opportunities to include racquetball, squash and basketball.

"I really enjoy our fitness center here," said Land. "They have everything I need to train to help me achieve my goals. The operational hours afford me the luxury of working out before and after duty hours, and they offer a variety of classes to help me keep up with my fitness. It benefits me as an airman because I'm keeping up with staying fit, and working out helps me relieve stress so I am able to be more productive at work and at home."