Exercise for parents with young children

  • Published
  • By Brig. Gen. Robert P. Steel
  • 48th Fighter Wing commander
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  

QUESTION:
I am writing the action line because I am concerned about exercise and parents of young children. I am the parent of a 6 month old baby and would love to work out during the day, but I am a stay at home mom and I would have to hire someone to watch my child while I worked out, or I would have to send my child to daycare. My husband usually works 10-12 hours a day so it is not possible for me to go when he gets home from work because I want to enjoy time with him too. Seymour Johnson AFB has a gym where people can volunteer to keep the nursery and it pays for their membership. This worked out very well for parents who wanted to work out and moms were always willing to volunteer 2 hours a week. Moody AFB and Ramstein AFB have parent child workout rooms which enable you to watch your child while working out on cardio machines. We all know the benefits of exercise, we see the AFN spots about 20 times a day. 

Being a stay at home mom and the wife of a husband who recently deployed, exercising can be the bright spot in a very lonely or dark day (i.e. December in England). 

Lakenheath is very lucky to have a beautiful, brand new workout facility, that many people unfortunately cannot use because there is no place for their child.

Please is there anything we can do about this? 

ANSWER:
Yes, there is something that we can do now to allow stay-at-home moms to have an opportunity to work out in our brand new fitness facility. Our Family Child Care program is designed to meet stay-at-home parent's hourly care demands. The Family Child Care listing is posted at the fitness center and is sent electronically to various base support functions (first sergeants, the Family Support Flight, key spouses). The listings are updated monthly. 

In the future, there is a possibility that a parent-child work out area could be established in the fitness center after funding for a renovation project becomes available and the 12-month new facility renovation restriction has ended. This new area would allow parents with children five years old and younger to work out and watch their children at the same time, just like at other bases. 

In the meantime, for more information about Family Child Care, please call 226-5812. 

The Action Line is your direct link to the commander for complaints, suggestions or comments. It's not intended to replace the chain of command. When normal command agency channels haven't been able to resolve your concerns, call 226-2324, fax 226- 5637, e-mail ( Action.Line@lakenheath.af.mil), send through distribution (48 FW/PA), mail (48FW/PA, Unit 5210 Box 215 APO AE 09461-0215) or hand carry your Action Line to the public affairs office (Building 1085). You may remain anonymous; however, to receive a reply, please leave your name, unit, duty or home phone number and full APO mailing address. Names are confidential.