Army Wellness Centers (AWCs) provide standardized primary prevention programs designed to promote and sustain healthy lifestyles and improve the overall wellbeing of Active Duty Service Members, adult Family Members, Retirees, and Department of the Army (DA) Civilians by leveraging state-of-the-art techniques and equipment.
All appointments include examination of current health habits, analysis of risk factors, exploration of personal health/wellness goals, and an assessment of obstacles that may get in the way of consistent health habits.
To view important measures such as utilization rate, number of visits, ratio of services per visit, and demographic data of the Army Wellness Centers, please visit the AWC Quarterly Program Monitoring Report.
Core programs
Army Wellness Center services
Sleep education
Sleep education services include general information about healthy sleep
habits, impact of sleep on health and wellbeing, tools, tips and positive action
steps to improve sleep. AWCs’ two part Sleep Education class covers the basics
of healthy sleep hygiene and walks clients through a self-assessment process to
increase awareness of their own sleep habits. The class provides tools for sleep
tracking and highlights the latest technology to assist with healthy sleep
habits. Clients will craft healthy sleep goals and create a basic sleep plan to
improve both quantity and quality of sleep.
Weight management and metabolic testing
Metabolism is the medical term for the rate at which the body burns calories.
Weight management involves a delicate balance between calories burned and
calories consumed. Metabolic testing results provide the exact number of
calories required for weight loss, gain, or maintenance. The Upping Your
Metabolism class will teach clients how to use their metabolic test results to
reach their health goals.
Exercise testing and exercise prescription
Exercise testing is an assessment of biometrics (height, weight, body mass
index, blood pressure, heart rate) and the four components of health related
physical fitness:
- Aerobic fitness (VO2 Submax)
- Body composition (Body fat %)
- Muscular fitness
- Flexibility
Health Educators use exercise test results as a planning tool for exercise
prescription and motivation to assist clients in establishing and meeting
reasonable physical activity, fitness and health goals.
Stress management education and biofeedback
Stress and strong emotions can cause or worsen health problems like heart
disease, hypertension, headaches, stroke, depression, and sleep disorders. AWC
services include biofeedback and education in stress relief techniques, and
coping skills.
Biofeedback is a relaxation technique used to teach clients to control
functions like heart rate to reduce stress and build resilience. AWCs use a
state-of-the art computerized stress relief system called emWave®. This
non-invasive system helps clients learn how to control their heart rhythm
pattern.
Body composition analysis
AWCs use various methods to determine body composition including the BOD POD®, ultrasound, bioelectrical impedance, or skinfold calipers. Body
composition goes beyond the number seen on a scale and determines if weight
comes from fat or fat-free mass. Fat-free mass includes everything the body is
made of that is not fat, such as muscle and bone. There is a strong correlation
between high body fat percentage and increased risk for diseases such as
diabetes and high blood pressure. Health Educators use exercise test results as
a planning tool for exercise prescription and motivation to assist clients in
establishing and meeting reasonable physical fitness and health goals.
The best part is… AWC services don’t cost you anything!
These services would cost you approximately $3,000 at a fitness center or civilian provider, so take advantage and schedule an appointment with your local Army Wellness Center today!
