Royal Canadian Air Force Exercise Plans for Physical Fitness

by Royal Canadian Air Force Staff

When the Royal Canadian Air Force went about setting up a physical fitness program in the years following World War II, it based its plans on three basic
* physical fitness is a direct result of physical activity
* physical activity leading to physical fitness must be vigorous and regular
* and that people will accept challenge.
After two years of painstaking research, an RCAF team of doctors, scientists, physical education specialists and artists produced the 5BX and XBX Plans for Physical Fitness. These five basic exercises for men and ten basic exercises for women were designed to provide everyone, no matter what age or physical condition, with the opportunity to achieve and maintain desirable levels of physical fitness. And it only required a very small portion of the day — 11 minutes for men, 12 minutes for women.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Fitness

175 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 1961

Reviews

[W]

Interesting to see that this series of physical exercises is still in print.I used to do these regularly,when I was a teenager

No gym equipment is required,the time required is just a few minutes a day.Easy to start and gradually build up to a higher fitness level.

But at the higher levels,the workout can be very intense,even dangerously so for unfit,or older individuals.

But a young,healthy individual can enjoy this programme and find it good fun too.

[Julio The Fox]

Ever see a fat Canadian? Exercise for the little John F. Kennedy in all of us. In 1961 JFK ordered his White House staff to lose ten pounds, using the Royal Canadian Air Force Exercise Plan, published in the Great White North that year, for a Bible. Most flunked (see Pierre Salinger on how not to lose weight) while others persisted to please their master. I tried the RCAF plan myself in the 1970s, between snacks of Cuban food.

[A. Macbeth reads]

Lovely. Have finally read this booklet from cover to cover, every single page. I have been working out with these exercises since college days, since before Dr Kenneth Cooper invented Aerobics, and will continue to workout with XBX and some 5BX for the foreseeable future.
My fitness goal by age is quite low but I’m allowed to jazz it up. But I’ll probably will never attain the fitness level of a circus acrobatic performer. But that’s another story .

[Maria]

Read the revised U.S. edition. Very subtle and very gradual approach to fitness that makes sense for just about everyone.
No equipment required, not a lot of time, either. Only persistence.

[Roy]

Good methods

Easy to follow and well laid out, likely to be popular for folk with little available time to get to the gym

[Cat {Pemberley and Beyond}]

Ok that was a really good book. Disclaimer: I'm on day two of following it (overall it should take several months to get up to the top-level stuff), so I can't comment on the efficacy of the exercises.
That said, I've read it through so cam comment on the book itself. It's a slim volume with diagrams of each of the exercises you're meant to do. Each workout should only take 11 minutes if you're male, or 12 if you're female. There are 4 workout charts, each getting progressively harder.

[Natalie]

My parents had this book and I have used it regularly since I was a teenager (I'm now in my 50s) to maintain fitness. It's simple and doesn't take long. My day always gets off to a good start when I use these simple exercises!

[Mckinley]

Great aid for one's health. Don't be intimidated by the source - Royal Canaian Air Force. I'm not an athlete and find this very beneficial. It's short and straight to the point. I still refer to it.