Fitness and sports center highlights Published July 2, 2009 Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- The warmer weather has brought about increased participation in fitness and sports programs and outdoor activities. It has also brought about the need to clarify a couple of fitness center and base policies that many patrons may not be aware of, the first of which is the fitness center policy on customer attire. The Air Force Fitness and Sports Program contributes to readiness and improves productivity by promoting fitness, esprit de corps, and quality of life for Air Force people. Due to Minot AFB's distance from the local community, it is critical that the fitness center be made available to all Air Force family members with guidelines for appropriate age-related activities (these guidelines are posted in the fitness center and are available in AFI 34-266 table 1.1). In addition to appropriate age-related activities, the focus on a family-friendly fitness center includes ensuring appropriate clothing is worn to maintain a proper image and comfortable environment for all of our patrons. Appropriate clothing is defined as being conservative, non-revealing and in good taste. · Conservative (not being able to visually see pectoral/abdominal region to any extent) t-shirts, sleeveless shirts, and muscle shirts are authorized provided they are not overly revealing and not offensive. · Inappropriate language or graphics are prohibited. · Shirts must be worn at all times except in the pool, sauna, whirlpool or locker room. · Work out and exercise shorts must be appropriate in length, conservative, non-revealing, and appropriate for the activity. · Athletic attire and an athletic-type shoe must be worn in all activity and equipment areas and to help maintain the facility, court shoes with non-marking soles must be worn on all court and group exercise room floors. · For safety reasons, no jeans, pants, or trousers with pockets or belt loops are authorized while playing organized sports or working out on strength and free weight equipment. · Plastic/rubber suits are not authorized in any fitness facility to include the outdoor running track and fields. · Patrons found to not be wearing proper attire in the fitness center, to include the outdoor running track and fields, will be asked to change into appropriate exercise clothing or asked to leave the facility. An additional base policy that many people may not be aware of is the proper wear of headphones while on AF installation roadways. AFI 91-207 states the wearing of portable headphones, earphones, or other listening devices while operating a motor vehicle, running, jogging, walking, bicycling, or skating (roller blades, roller skates, or skateboards) on AF installations roadways is prohibited with the exception of hands free telephone headset or single-bud earpiece. Although patrons are authorized to wear headphones while working out in the fitness center we feel it is necessary to remind our patrons that they must remove at least one ear bud when walking from the fitness center to the outdoor track or onto the base roadways. The well-being, safety, and comfort of all of our Air Force family members is vital to the support of our mission. Please note the posted policy in the base fitness center. For more information, please call 723-2145.