AFMC Command News

Slow, steady progress helps people excel in fitness

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Stacy Fowler
  • 552nd Air Control Wing Public Affairs
552nd Air Control Wing Public Affairs --  TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (AFMCNS) - Most marathon runners can't complete a 100-mile marathon on their very first try. Most weight lifters can't lift 500 pounds during their first bench press attempt.

It takes time, effort and commitment for people to improve their endurance or strength. It's the same for Airmen doing physical training and trying to max out physical fitness test scores.

It's all about slow and steady progress - a prime example is Bunny Greenroyd, 552nd Communications Group commander's secretary.

"When I saw the Airmen around me preparing for their PT tests, it inspired me to try to do things they had to do. I've always loved running, and at 58 I came in second place in the Annual Redbud Classic in April, 2005," Ms. Greenroyd said. "But I had never tried push-ups before, so wasn't sure how many I could do. When I started doing push-ups at the beginning of spring last year, I couldn't do very many - only a couple of good push-ups. But I didn't let that stop me."

Ms. Greenroyd began doing push-ups every morning, right after getting out of bed and before her first cup of coffee. The only time she wouldn't do push-ups was because of illness, but even then she still tried.

"I feel better if I work out, even if I'm sick," she said. "Whenever I did my push-ups, I tried to add one or two every time."

Slowly and surely, the number of push-ups she could do increased. Ms. Greenroyd now does 100 Air Force-regulation style push-ups - arms bent at 90 degrees when going down, back straight, the whole thing. While she doesn't time herself, being able to do 100 push-ups at once is a feat to be proud of.

"People I talk to are surprised at what I can do - they don't believe it at first, so I show them - it's fun to prove to Airmen I can do what they do," Ms. Greenroyd said. "And staying fit at 58 just makes me feel better. When I look at others my age, the differences are even more apparent - if people aren't taking care of themselves early in life, it's a lot harder to do later."

For the Airmen who are frustrated at not being where they "should" be - Ms. Greenroyd has this advice:

"Don't try to do everything at once," she said. "Getting better at push-ups and running takes time - I know from experience. If you try a little harder each time you do these things, you'll build up your stamina and strength to where you will be able to do more. Being fit and staying fit is an important part of life. If you start now, you won't have to catch up later."