Leading by example Published May 18, 2015 By Senior Airman Kristoffer Kaubisch Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Physical fitness is a requirement for the Air Force. Maintaining the standards can become more and more challenging to some, depending on their work schedules and everyday lives. However, for one of the busiest Airmen on Minot Air Force Base, fitness has to be made a top priority. Col. Jason R. Armagost, 5th Bomb Wing commander works hard to lead by example for exemplary fitness at Minot AFB, he said. "I do three things for my own personal work out; swim, run and calisthenics," Armagost said. "We have a great resource here at Minot Air Force Base with an indoor pool that we are working on sustaining and maintaining. The fact that we have one here is not a common resource that a lot of bases have." For Armagost, swimming is not just a physical exercise, but a mental one as well. "I try and swim at least three times a week. For me, repetitive exercise like that allows me to think. It's a way to physically push yourself into a rhythmic activity," Armagost said. "It also allows your brain to think about other things besides work. I'm not taking any phone calls, I'm not thinking about anything else while I'm in the water." Additionally, swimming is easier on the body and prevents potential shock-related injuries, he said. "That is one of the reasons that I want to take advantage of it because it's also a great exercise that works your cardio, your strength, and your endurance, as well as being low stress on your joints," Armagost said. "I think the swimming kind of rounds you out, it keeps you more injury free, but it allows you to stay strong and stay fit." As the installation commander, Armagost has a jam-packed schedule. No matter how busy his day may be, he always finds time to get to the gym. "I schedule gym time; whatever I'm doing, I will set it down and go work out," Armagost said. "It ends up being an investment that pays back. I generally work out over my lunch break, because it just works for me for the day." Not only does working out fulfill an Air Force requirement, but it helps with a person's overall health. "I end up sleeping better; I sleep better through the night and wake up feeling refreshed," Armagost said. "It helps you think more clearly, it helps you be more resilient when the cold and flu bugs are around. The cold and flu doesn't seem to last as long when you're physical fit. It has a magnifying effect on everything you do." Physical fitness allows you the opportunity to push yourself and test yourself in ways that make you stronger. "It allows you to know what kind of stress you can endure and build upon and come back from," Armagost said. "You will get hurt at times, but how you recover from that depends on your physical fitness. Those are the core points I try and sustain in my physical fitness regime." To optimize physical fitness, eating right plays a key factor as well. "Where we fail most often when it comes to physical fitness and overall health is not getting enough rest and not eating right," Armagost said. "If you're going to the gym for an hour and working up a good sweat, that's great, but then if on a Friday and Saturday night you're eating a large pizza and having a few drinks, you're essentially eroding the foundation that you have built from working out. Choices as far as eating and physical fitness, all of that is cumulative for overall health. A lot of times, especially younger Airmen, don't realize the impact that diet has on the physical fitness regime." The Air Force is held to a high standard in the physical fitness capacity, and for good reason. Being physically fit is one of the key factors in building a well-rounded, strong Airmen. "If you have an organization full of strong people, and by strong I mean fit with a sense of physical courage and endurance, you have capacity that you can stretch," Armagost said. "The Air Force sees physical fitness as important, because warriors are called upon to do things in the physical and mental realm that no one else is. If you're not strong, if you're not ready to take some punishment and get up from it, then you're not at the level that you need to be at to be a warrior."