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Physical Readiness Program Gets an Overhaul
Story Number: NNS020404-08
Release Date: 4/4/2002 2:03:00 PM
By Journalist 1st Class Daniel Pearson, Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs
MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- In response to feedback from the fleet, the Navy is making major changes to the Physical Readiness Test (PRT) standards. Beginning in October, age groups will be in five-year increments instead of the current 10-year groups, and the overall score will be based on an average of individual event scores.
"The lowest score as your overall score was a big dissatisfier in the fleet, so we are going to average scoring," said Capt. Tim Cepak, deputy assistant commander of the Navy Personnel Command for Personal Readiness and Community Support. "We're going to maintain the same goal-oriented approach to scoring for individual events, but each of those goals will have a numerical value assigned to them. No one event is going to be weighed over the other."
The revised Physical Readiness Program instruction (OPNAVINST 6110.1G) is not finalized; however, the new PRT scoring table is available at http://www.mwr.navy.mil/mwrprgms/missup.htm.
The new instruction will also establish a probationary performance category. Sailors whose overall score falls into this category will be enrolled in their command's Fitness Enhancement Program (FEP). Under the current system, a score of Satisfactory/Marginal on any individual event is cause for enrollment in FEP.
As opposed to the old system of cumulative point totals, the system of averaging scores will better reflect Sailors' level of fitness.
"What (the old system) did was mask performance on individual events; so we had individuals who could barely pass the run, yet they were scoring outstanding because they did a bunch of curl ups and push ups," Cepak noted. "The whole purpose of the test is to give an individual an idea where they are today so they can work with the command fitness leader to find out what they can do to improve."
Another major change is that age groups will be in five-year increments (20-24, 25-29, etc…) rather than the 10-year groups under the current instruction. Scoring will be comparable to current standards.
Also, the command fitness leader is no longer required to be a chief petty officer or above; Navy Personnel Command is developing criteria for a unit award based on individual improvement, not the number of outstanding scores.
"The physical fitness program is not about the test," Cepak said. "What it's about is overall fitness and improving your overall fitness level. The reason we're spending money getting our command fitness leaders certified as fitness trainers is so we can help people achieve their fitness goals. When an individual achieves fitness, the test is just an afterthought."
The Navy is also studying the possibility of incorporating a cross-training machine as an option for the cardiovascular portion of the test, and reducing the time for curl ups and push ups from two minutes to one minute. Those studies should be completed sometime in 2003.
Although changes to the test are of primary interest to Sailors, they shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the purpose of the Physical Readiness Program is to promote fitness and good health.
"If you get into the habit of a fitness lifestyle, as you age you will stay young. Fitness is the fountain of youth," Cepak added. "You want to be able to enjoy your retirement, and to do that, you need to be physically active."
For information on the Navy Physical Readiness Program, go to http://www.mwr.navy.mil and go to the "Select Your Page" on the pull-down menu.
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