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POST pilots Lifetime Fitness curriculum; commission removes body-composition measurement from module 2 and 3
Summary
After a lengthy debate about body‑composition measurement and student privacy, POST approved pilot implementation of Learning Domain 32 (Lifetime Fitness) for modular basic courses but removed the proposed body-composition measurement from modules 2 and 3 and directed staff to revisit module 1 later.
POST’s Basic Training Bureau on Nov. 1 sought approval to pilot an expanded Lifetime Fitness learning domain (LD 32) in modular basic courses. Staff proposed adding five hours of foundation content to the module 3 course and 16 additional hours — including physical assessments and a required conditioning program — to module 2.
Anita Finner, Basic Training Bureau staff services manager, described the proposal’s intent: "The intent of the proposed added content to the module 3 and 2 courses is to instill lifetime fitness throughout the law enforcement profession and minimize student injuries and successful completion of the work sample test battery in our module 1 basic courses." The module‑2 proposal included push‑ups, sit‑ups, a 1.5‑mile run, and a body‑composition measurement as a start‑and‑finish assessment tied to a required physical‑conditioning program.
Commissioners raised concerns about requiring body‑composition measurements in modules that serve as earlier, largely lecture‑based or preparatory phases. Commissioner Gordon and several others warned that body‑composition metrics (BMI and similar measures) can be misleading across different body types and ethnic groups and might discourage recruits if used as a required measurement in a developmental module. Commissioner Gordon called for caution and asked that measurements not be used as a pass/fail standard.
Tammy Morel, Director of Public Safety Programs at Delta College and an advisory‑committee member who served on the subject‑matter expert workshop, proposed an approach that POST accepted: remove the body‑composition measurement from modules 2 and 3 for the pilot and continue the educational content. She recommended revisiting module 1 and the role of body‑composition measurement later. "I would propose today is to remove the body measurement from modules 3 and 2, and then come back in March, and remove it from module 1 and the regular basic course," she said.
After discussion commissioners approved piloting LD 32 with the deletion of the body‑composition measurement from the module‑2 and module‑3 pilots; they also asked staff to return with more development and evaluation data and to ensure the pilot includes privacy safeguards and non‑stigmatizing delivery.
Why this matters: The change will affect how recruits are introduced to fitness concepts across modular basic courses; commissioners emphasized that fitness instruction should encourage healthy, inclusive practices and avoid creating discouraging or stigmatizing hurdles.
What’s next: Staff will run the pilot with selected modular course presenters, collect student and instructor feedback, and report back to the Commission (targeted March to spring 2026 for the pilot cycle and a later report on module 1).
