AF Tracker Helps Air Force Members Get Fit

​Physical fitness is a prime concern for those in the Air Force.

In 2010, the Air Force instituted a new and more rigorous physical fitness standard. The new AF Tracker app will help all service members track their physical fitness status to make sure they are meeting the requirements based on Air Force instruction. AF Tracker is also working to provide features to help all airmen maintain and advance in their careers.

Service member Julio Medina, through meDEVELOPMENT, LLC, developed the AF Tracker. The application is compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It can be obtained, free of charge, in the iTunes App Store. The PT calculator is a main feature that calculates a physical fitness score based on user-entered information. 

This feature calculates fitness scores, based on the number of push-ups and sit-ups completed and the time required to run 1.5 miles. It also takes into account the age of the user and any medically exempt exercises while including points based on waist size. The PT calculator always will be free of charge. Other premium features will be available in the future for a small cost as an in-app purchase.

The new physical fitness standards, enacted by the Air Force, represent the most strenuous in more than a decade. The changes were made to promote a fitness-based culture that enhances the mission readiness of airmen. 

The new fitness program accords a specific percentage to individual fitness tasks. The 1.5-mile run accounts for 60% of the total score, with body composition accounting for 20%, and push-ups and sit-ups making up 10% each.

Five age categories are included in the PT calculator. They range from less than 30 to ages 60 and over. An excellent score is 90 points and above. Scores of 76 to 89 are rated as satisfactory while 75 or less is unsatisfactory. The PT calculator included in the AF Tracker is an ideal tool to help those in the Air Force monitor the various physical tasks required, as well as their scores.

The AF Tracker is devoted to providing an upcoming feature that will allow airmen to enter the due date of their annual PT test. This feature will send airmen reminders one month, two weeks and one week before their due date. This is especially important, as the Air Force has deemed it the responsibility of each airmen to know their exact due date.

Medina also hopes to include the following features and many more in future updates:

• Fitness tracker

• WAPS (Weighted Airman Promotion System) calculator

• Bullet tracker

Fans can follow the app on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and Digg.

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