HPER and Navy partner to improve soldier fitness

Six IU graduates reported for duty at naval bases last week, but instead of combating troops from foreign countries, they will combat the effects of aging.

The U.S. Navy and the IU school of Health, Physical Education and Recreation have entered into a partnership to create a new program to help raise the fitness level of active-duty service members. The target age for the group is 40 to 60 years old.

Carol Kennedy-Armbruster, a faculty member in HPER and the principal investigator of the project, said the participants were excited about the possibility of working with the navy.

“They thought it was an awesome opportunity,” she said.

The six fitness professionals, five of whom earned fitness specialist bachelor’s degrees from HPER, traveled to naval bases at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, San Diego and Norfolk, Va., on Sept. 8.

The former IU students are now employees of IU and are labeled as clinical lecturers. The Navy is paying for their housing, while they are also being paid by IU for their services.

The inspiration for this program came when Kennedy-Ambruster gave a presentation on the future of fitness at the American College of Sports Medicine Health Fitness Summit.

After the presentation, Kelly Powell, an IU alumna and Navy contact approached her, and the project took off.

The Navy considered proposals from several universities but ultimately chose IU due to the University’s strong fitness specialist program.

Michelle Miller, the coordinator of the fitness specialist bachelor’s degree in HPER and partner with Kennedy-Ambruster, said she feels IU’s program is very strong.

“We believe it is one of the most applied and comprehensive programs in the country,” she said.

The Senior Health Assessment Program Enterprise will put the fitness professionals in situations where they will train and come up with new ideas for the active-duty members.

Lisa Sexauer, the headquarters Navy SHAPE program manager, said she feels this program will help the sailors combat the effects of aging and decline of health in their target population.

Both Kennedy-Ambruster and Miller have experience in the real world and now have turned to teaching the next generation of fitness professionals.

Kennedy-Ambruster, prior to her position in the school of HPER, worked as the director of the fitness program at the Student Recreational Sports Center for eight years. She said she feels this experience will be able to improve her teaching skills as well.

“It will give us an idea of what is going on in the real world,” Kennedy-Ambruster said.

The fitness professionals will work at the naval bases for one year and could secure more permanent jobs afterward.

Miller said she sees this program growing and involving more IU students in the future. Part of the reason for this is the fitness specialist program at IU, which she said prepares students well for post-graduate careers.

The fitness specialist program turns out 40 to 45 students a year, and has gained national attention to the point where employers are contacting the school of HPER to enlist graduates in professional careers upon graduation.

Miller added that she feels this program will greatly benefit the University.
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It allows people to see the school of HPER not just as jocks running around playing basketball,” Miller said. “We are here to reach out and impact the health of individuals.”