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Gen. Mike Minihan, Commander of Air Mobility Command, visits the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station June 8, 2024.

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New class, personal effort brings positive change to Niagara PT scores

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Andrew Caya
  • 914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. --  Are you ready to stop feeling a sense of dread when your scheduled physical training test day looms on the horizon? Are you anxious about feeling that cold measuring tape on your waist, telling the world that you may not meet the Air Force physical standards? Do your hands tremble when you get into the push-up position? Are you confident about your run time? Are you ready to stop feeling sorry for yourself and put some effort into your physical readiness?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, a 914th Airlift Wing first sergeant is giving you an opportunity to change. Will you take it? A better question is can you take it?

Master Sgt. Charity Edwards, 914th Force Support Squadron First Sergeant, saw there was a need for her troops to not only pass the U.S. Air Force physical fitness test, but to maintain their fitness as well.

Using her skills as a certified physical trainer, she developed and implemented a free class offered at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station Fitness Center. The class named "Cross Training" is open to military members, spouses and government civilians.

The class utilizes free weights, spinning bikes, aerobic steps, kettlebells, medicine balls, suspension straps, stability balls, BOSU trainers, yoga and martial arts techniques. No two workout sessions are the same.

"The students have no idea what's coming," said Edwards.

A large portion of the personnel who take the class realize they are on their last opportunity to stay in the military, they know they need to do something-- they don't know what-- so they come to this class, said Edwards.

"This class is designed for overall fitness," said Edwards. "Everyone who is in this class has dropped a lot of weight and their body composition has changed."

Edwards spoke of an Airman that failed the PT Test and was almost separated from the military. She urged the Airman to join her fitness class. In five months and 50 pounds lighter, the Airman earned a 91 percent on the PT test.

This class emphasizes the latest trends in the fitness industry and with the Air Force giving such a serious push on fitness and fitness testing, this type of program is one of the ways people can work to improve their fitness score and more importantly their overall health, said Mr. Mike Williams, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station Fitness Center director.

Niagara's leadership watched the program grow and helped to fuel the desire for the increased health of their members.

"Base leadership helped us acquire the equipment the class needed to help Master Sgt. Edwards and the students succeed," said Williams. "Without a commitment from senior leadership assisting us with the resources, Master Sgt. Edwards wouldn't have the flexibility of doing all of these things in the class."

Williams stated that the new equipment coupled with the instruction from Edwards brought new faces to the fitness center, eager to up their fitness levels.

The variety of the workouts is what brings the students back again and again, said Williams. This class incorporates multiple facets of fitness exercises so the participants won't get a stale workout.

While this rigor may seem daunting to a workout newbie, Edwards said that she safely pushes you to your personal limits, not the limits of other people.

What makes this class so successful is how MSgt. Edwards interacts with the students, said Williams. The workouts are tailored to the individuals; the students are doing what they are capable of doing and working to their maximum fitness level.

"We started this class with about six or eight people. Now, we consistently have more than 25 people per class. That's a pretty good sign that people like what's happening in that class. They like the atmosphere and they feel it's inviting for them to come," said Williams.

"With just a little bit of effort you can score in the 90 to 100 percent range on your PT test, why not offer that? If you put the effort in, you will score really high. When you put effort in, you will see your body change, your lifestyle change, your health and mind change. People love it, and they keep coming back," said Edwards.

See if you can handle the first sergeant's PT workouts held at the Base Fitness Center every Tuesday and Thursday at 3:00pm as well as Saturdays at a time discussed in Thursday's class.