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Team Shaw: a wealth of healthy options

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Destinee Dougherty
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  The Shaw Air Force Base Commissary hosted a Healthy Lifestyle Festival here in order to highlight aspects of healthy living such as eating healthy and exercising, July 15.

The festival featured events hosted in conjunction with the 20th Force Support Squadron Fitness and Health Center and 20th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Health Promotions.

For Team Shaw service members, the event was a chance to explore the produces and services on base that support Comprehensive Airman Fitness. The Air Force’s CAF concept encourages Airmen to maintain fitness in four categories: spiritual, social, mental, and physical.

Among several events was a 5k run, an aerobathon, and a healthy food sampling.

During the aerobathon, volunteer instructors from the Shaw Fitness and Health Center taught Zumba, kickboxing, and yoga to festival-goers.

“Everything starts with fitness,” said Shango Sheffield, 20th FSS fitness assistant director. “Being fit helps with deployments and resiliency. If you have a fit mind, body, and overall spirituality, everything else will fall into place.”
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Even though there were recreational activities for Team Shaw members of all ages, a few of the events were geared specifically toward children.

Team Shaw children were given the opportunity to try various healthy treats such as bell peppers, soy milk, and veggie burgers during a healthy food sampling to show them that food can taste good and be nutritious too.

“Children are mimicking everything we do,” said Janine Reinholtz, 20th AMDS registered dietitian. “Whatever we’re doing is going to either set them up for success or failure. As long as we’re trying to live a healthy lifestyle, they’re going to try to live a healthy lifestyle.”

Maintaining overall health and staying fit to fight is essential for all service members and a necessity to accomplish the mission. The Healthy Lifestyle Festival encouraged eating well and promoted physical fitness, two crucial aspects of Comprehensive Airman Fitness.