CHARLESTOWN, Mass. (NNS) -- The crew of USS Constitution will kick off their participation in the "Crews Into Shape" program from the ship's berth in Charlestown, Mass. March 4-31.
Sponsored by the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center and open to anyone employed by the DoD, Crews into Shape is a workplace-focused initiative that fosters teamwork with daily nutritional and exercise habits.
Constitution's health committee is organizing the event in light of National Nutrition Month.
"You have to fuel the machine that is the human body, and you can only do that through a well-planned and properly executed diet," said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (FMF) Louis Del Prete, Constitution's leading independent duty corpsman.
The program is divided by fitness teams and awards points to teams who eat two cups of fruit and three cups of vegetables per day. Points are also awarded to members who engage in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily and meet weekly with their team for a group exercise activity. Points are ultimately compiled and put into an overall database where teams from across the DoD can see where they rank with one another.
Constitution's Crews Into Shape program is divided into six teams.
"It's that team spirit, and you can feed off that energy from other people to sustain long-term good health," said Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Shirley, Constitution's executive officer. Shirley is also an avid runner, having participated in four marathons, including the Boston Marathon. He intends to participate in this year's Boston Marathon, April 16.
Crews Into Shape has been organizing and emphasizing this team-based healthy lifestyle since 2001.
Last year, 1,932 DoD personnel were registered on 276 different teams. Out of the 448 post-challenge survey responses, 80 percent reported an improved daily exercise habit, and more than 86 percent reported an improvement in daily nutritional habits.
"One of the benefits of staying fit and eating right is that you feel better," said Seaman Keith Murray, a registered member of Constitution's "Sweaty Deckies" team. "As a person ages, staying fit becomes a very important priority. The only way to counteract the degradation of aging is to take care of one's self in the proper fashion."
Constitution is the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat and welcomes more than 500,000 visitors per year. She defended the sea lanes against threat from 1797 to 1855, much like the mission of today's Navy.
Constitution's mission today is to offer community outreach and education about the ship's history. Currently, her crew is planning to commemorate bicentennial of the War of 1812 through public demonstrations and educational activities at seven Navy Weeks across the U.S. in 2012. America's Navy: Keeping the sea free for more than 200 years.
For more information about Constitution, visit history.navy.mil/ussconstitution or Facebook.com/ussconstitutionofficial.
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