Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. -- Active duty Marines and Sailors at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., now have a new, free way to improve their physical fitness scores without increasing the wear and tear on their joints.
Aquatic Maximum Power Intensity Training is a version of the High Intensity Tactical Training program sponsored by Semper Fit at the air station.
“These workouts are strenuous,” said Veronica Laguna, an aquatics fitness instructor with Semper Fit at Cherry Point. “In the class you are going to be working just as hard, if not more, than you would be on land.”
The AMP-IT classes normally run about an hour and are mostly held in the deep end of the station pool with suspension belts keeping the water at chest level. Then participants run – in the water.
“Some of the exercises we use at the start of the class include running with fins and resistance bells on the Marines hands and feet to increase the intensity,” said Laguna, a native of Los Angeles. “Typically, at the start of the class, everyone thinks it’s going to be easy because all they are doing is running in water.”
According to Laguna, who is a certified HITT instructor, AMP-IT incorporates different exercises which can help reduce skeletal stain and reduce the likelihood of injury while still improving the level of physical fitness.
“Today, after the running, they will also be swimming sprints across the pool to build up their heart rate, followed by a core workout to improve their flexibility,” said Laguna.
According to Cpl. Miranda Bilbao, a field wireman with Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28, it may not look like much for spectators, but the exercise takes effort.
“As a unit, we have done the class three times and there has been something new to push us each time,” said Bilbao, a native of Elizabeth, N.Y. “I like the water physical training because, as Marines, we are amphibious and to get in the pool is great training.”
AMP-IT classes gives leaders a chance to build cohesion across a whole unit while building physical fitness, said Bilbao.
“You can have guys on limited or light duty that cannot run or hike with the unit, but can swim,” he said. “It gives them the opportunity to be a part of the training and build the cohesion.”
Marines can attend AMP-IT classes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Unit training is reserved for 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information about the AMP-IT class, contact the Aquatics Office at 252-466-2510.