CAMP ZAMA, Japan (Dec. 23, 2014) -- The grand opening ceremony for the Camp Zama Army Wellness Center was held Dec. 19 in front of the new center.
Col. Thirsa Martinez, commander of U.S. Army Medical Department Activity- Japan, said she is proud to have the opportunity to open the first AWC in the Pacific region.
"This wellness center represents the completion of months of hard work, dedication and intensive planning," said Martinez.
Martinez spoke briefly about the history of Army Wellness Centers, saying all AWCs are a part of the Division of the Surgeon General's campaign that standardized and implemented AWCs throughout the Army, spear-headed by Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho.
"These centers were a key tenant of her plan to transform Army medicine from a system of healthcare to a system of health," said Martinez.
Stephanie Dean, the Camp Zama AWC director, said the new facility is about "healthy lifestyles."
"Teaching individuals how to make changes in their life, and sustain those changes," said Dean.
The Camp Zama AWC has over $200,000 worth of equipment and technology to aid Soldiers, Family members, retirees and Department of the Army Civilians in "individualized advice and exercise prescription" to clients at no cost, said Dean.
One piece of equipment and technology is the "Bod Pod," said Dean.
The Bod Pod is a body composition test that uses air displacement plethysmography to test and determine the different density of the tissues in the body.
"So you will leave here knowing your fat mass verses your fat free mass," said Dean.
The Camp Zama AWC also has a number of computer systems that test things such as resting metabolic rate, strength and flexibility testing as well. Dean said from the testing, the Camp Zama AWC can tell clients how to eat nutritiously for their body to maintain the number of calories it's using and what prescription of exercise they should be doing.
The Camp Zama AWC is an interactive environment said Dean; clients don't sit down and get lectured.
"We want everybody to be participating in the changes that they are making in their lives."
Social Sharing