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5 Reasons Why Firefighters Should Love Water…
Water is a firefighters best friend. Not only because it helps to suppress fires and cool environments but also because it an essential element of performance. Academies all over the country often talk about the importance of water for fire suppression but forget to mention how important it is “inside” the firefighter. Here is a great info-graphic to post around your firehouse to remind all of us in the fire service just how precise water is for us (inside and out). I also included a link to guidelines on “how to stay hydrated” below. Click here for a printable version of the above info-graphic. Here are some great guidelines on how to stay hydrated on and off the fireground (click here). Stay safe and healthy, Aaron Zamzow
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Fire Rescue Fitness Memorial Day Workout
Here is a great way to start your Memorial weekend. This is a little workout that will burn some calories, ignite your metabolism, and make room for some good summer food and spirits. I always like to do some morning workout or fun run with the family on Holidays, I find that I feel better all day and don’t eat as much. Please give this a try! This is also a great workout to do at the firehouse if you are working for the holiday (and thank you for your service). Before you perform the nuts and bolts of the workout, perform this active warm-up. Click Here for a Video of a 4 exercise Active Warm-up routine -Knees side to side (6-10 reps each side) -Straight leg raises (6-10 reps each side) -Cross-overs (6-10 reps each side) -Step back, reach and twist (6-10 reps each side) Repeat the above circuit 2x before moving…
Read MoreChange Your Stance to Improve Fireground Performance…
There are some very simple and quick adjustments you can make with your training that can go a long way in improving performance. Here is one of these adjustments…. Change your stance on some common exercises and improve your performance on the fireground. Click on the link below! Look for ways to incorporate more fireground motions in your workouts… and keep checking back to Fire Rescue Fitness for more tips. Stay safe and Get FRF, Aaron Zamzow
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And the 2017 FRF "Fit for Duty" Champion is…
Last January Fire Rescue Fitness launched the 2017 FRF Fit for Duty Challenge with the hopes of promoting health and fitness within the fire service. The goal of the Challenge was to motivate Fire Rescue Athletes to treat their health like “athletes” do, to workout and eat to better perform the duties of the job. The results are in and I think together we are making an impact. This year over 100 Fire Rescue Athletes entered their results and inspiring testimonials on how the Fire Rescue Fitness Workouts helped them get Fit for Duty and how they motivated others to do the same. I am so proud to announce that Joshua Fulk is the 2017 FRF Fit for Duty Champion. Congratulations to Josh and all the other winners of the Challenge! You are all Champions! Click the video below for a complete rundown of the Top 5. 1. Joshua Fulk 2. Dave…
Read MoreVote for the 2017 Fit for Duty Champion…
Congratulations to all the 2017 FRF Fit for Duty Challenge participants! This year over over 100 Firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics entered their results. There were many inspiring results and stories showing how the Fire Rescue Fitness Workouts have helped change lives and careers. Most importantly, our hope is that these results will help motivate more fire rescue athletes to join the FRF nation and change the fitness culture of the fire service. Please read and share these awesome transformation stories. And, please comment with your thoughts on the winner, 2 through 5 places who was the most inspiring. You can also vote by “liking” the athlete on our FRF Facebook Page (click here). Voting ends on May 5th (midnight-cst). Winners (final spots) will be announced May 8th. Here are the Top 5 entries (listed in random order) in the 2017 FRF Fit for Duty Challenge.
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3 Healthy Eating Tips for the Firehouse (or any house)…
Cooking in the firehouse for a bunch of hungry firefighters is not easy, trust me I know. In most cases we sacrifice health for taste to avoid complaints and heckling. But, in order to change the culture of the fire service (to a healthier one) cooks and food choices need to get better. Here are 3 easy and healthy tips that can help. 1. Assemble 5 simple and healthy recipes that can be easily tweaked to create different dishes.– Learning new recipes are fun but isn’t best done in a busy firehouse. We all know, the more times we make a recipe, the faster, easier and possibly healthier it gets–It becomes a routine, like putting on your gear. There are a lot of resources to find healthy recipes, pick some out and use them as your staples. Need some extra guidance on nutrition? Get into “Ultimate” shape with this program…Eating…
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Firefighter Performance- Stay Hydrated… Stay Alive
Heart attack and strokes are more likely to kill firefighters than an actual fire. A recent research article just confirmed one of the major reasons why. The research confirms that the physical demands of firefighting may trigger the formation of blood clots and impair blood vessel function — two factors associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke. (You can read more about that research by clicking here.) The research also confirms the importance of proper fitness and hydration in firefighters. Take a look at the article below and make sure you (and your crew) stays hydrated. It can save your life! In most stations, your shift starts with checking your gear, SCBA, med supplies and looking over the apparatus (usually with a cup of coffee in hand), but do you ask yourself, Am I physically ready to do my job? I imagine 100% of you nodded your head…
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4 foods that help firefighters combat heart disease…
Its been very well documented that the leading cause of firefighter-on-duty deaths is related to heart disease. Recent research has discovered that more than 70% of US firefighters are overweight or obese (click here for the research), exceeding the national average for adults. Obesity and heart disease are a major threat to firefighter health and safety and is associated with an increased risk of job-related disability. Therefore any information regarding decreasing the chances of heart disease are very valuable to the firefighting community. Many risk factors contribute to the development of heart disease, or atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). So what is the main culprit to the increasing numbers to this Heart Disease epidemic? Is it high cholesterol? About 50% of heart attacks and strokes occur in people with normal cholesterol levels. This suggests that many people at risk are presumably “healthy” because they have normal cholesterol levels. What I’ve…
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This Movement can Reduce Firefighter Injuries…
I have a confession to make…sometimes I skip my active warm-up exercises when I workout. We are all guilty of it (admit it). Let’s face it, sometimes you hit the gym or the workout room in the firehouse and are tired or short on time and will “sacrifice” the warm-up and stretching. I do not recommend EVER skipping your warm-up. If you have read my posts in the past you understand how important the active warm-up and flexibility portions of the workout are. Need a refresher, click here for a great post about active warm-ups and flexibility. So, today I wanted to give you a very quick active warm-up movement option that can be used as a substitute or as an addition to your normal active warm-up. You can use this movement to warm-up before your workout or drills and throughout your shift to increase flexibility and…
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