Maxwell dietician and personal trainer strive to create a health conscious environment

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Alexa Culbert
  • Maxwell Public Affairs

Mike Polis, 42nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron dietician, and Josh Hale, 42nd Force Support Squadron personal trainer, are working together to help create and foster an environment here on base that is health and fitness conscious.

As a way to better spread the word about their areas of expertise, Polis and Hale have been conducting briefings to interested organizations.

During the briefings, they explain the most effective ways to get the most out of one’s diet and exercise routines, and answer any questions.

“We’re trying to re-work the culture and transition the culture more into a [health and fitness] realm,” Polis said.

By educating the base population, Polis and Hale hope to eliminate the many diet and fitness misconceptions that prove to be either ineffective or harmful.

Polis said the most prevalent nutrition misconceptions include the perceived usefulness of fad diets and a general misunderstanding of healthy eating habits.

 “I think there is a misconception that if you have a [physical training] test coming up, then it’s time to change your eating habits,” he said. “Why don’t we just go ahead and start changing your eating habits now? So we’re always mission ready, always combat ready and always ready for that PT test.”

As with nutrition, Hale said he often sees mistakes being made at the gym that stem from not having the right information.

Hale said he sees people on base trying to achieve their fitness goals succumbing to injuries because of bad information coming from irrelevant sources. He said that when they work with Polis and himself, they are receiving current information coming from the appropriate level.

Hale and Polis said they have yet to have a student fail a PT test.

 “We’re literally killing the game right now. I don’t think we ever lose when it comes to passing a PT test or losing some weight and getting some muscles,” Hale said.

To schedule an appointment with either of them one-on-one, or to schedule a group briefing, contact Polis at 334-953-7890 and Hale at 334-953-7894 for more information.