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Combating the Obesity Epidemic in the Fire Service…
This is scary…We need to change. Rates of overweight and obese individuals in the fire service are higher than those found in the general public, according to a new study. + Researchers looked at the body composition of both career and volunteer firefighters across the nation, with overweight and obesity rates ranging from 73 percent to 88 percent. About two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese on a general, national level. The research demonstrates that a large percentage of firefighters do not meet minimal standards of physical fitness, according to the study conducted by the NVFC National Volunteer Fire Council– “Addressing the Epidemic of Obesity in the United States Fire Service” looks at the impact of obesity, the scope of obesity in the fire service, and why obesity has become an epidemic. The report also adds that “as firefighters gain more weight, research has found that cardio respiratory fitness plummets…
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Healthy Eating Tips for the Firehouse (or any house)
Some of my more popular posts lately involve nutrition around the firehouse (or any house). I was doing some research for my next article (stay tuned for that) and came up with some quick and easy “healthy eating” tips that any fire rescue athlete can apply. Take a look at these and see how you can incorporate them into your daily lives. Using smaller plates and bowls can reduce how much you eat. Next time you set the table remember this point. Eating breakfast can control appetite all day. Start the day with a good meal, it will give you the energy to get through the day and keep your appetite in check. Watching TV while eating creates a distraction that causes you to eat more. We all need to pay attention to portion control! The more you chew the fewer calories you’re likely to consume and the more you burn. …
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Firefighter Fitness- Combating the Obesity Epidemic in Firefighters
This is scary…We need to change. Rates of overweight and obese individuals in the fire service are higher than those found in the general public, according to a new study. + Researchers looked at the body composition of both career and volunteer firefighters across the nation, with overweight and obesity rates ranging from 73 percent to 88 percent. About two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese on a general, national level. The research demonstrates that a large percentage of firefighters do not meet minimal standards of physical fitness, according to the study conducted by the NVFC National Volunteer Fire Council– “Addressing the Epidemic of Obesity in the United States Fire Service” looks at the impact of obesity, the scope of obesity in the fire service, and why obesity has become an epidemic. = The report also adds that “as firefighters gain more weight, research has found that cardio respiratory…
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Do This to Be a Stronger Firefighter….
Balance, coordination, power, strength, cardiovascular recovery….all essential fitness traits of the “fit for duty” Fire Rescue Athlete. If you are a Fire Rescue Athlete (or not) you need to plan your workouts to address each of these traits. One of the most overlooked is balance and coordination. As a trainer, I get asked how and when is the best time to train for balance? And, as a firefighter I get asked why do I need to train for balance? Well, the last thing you want to happen as you climb a ladder or lift a patient is to lose your balance; this often leads to injury or possible death. You can easily modify current exercises to challenge your balance by changing your stance (going from two legs to one), standing on a balance board or BOSU, changing your angle of movement (incline or decline), and/or using a stability ball instead of a stable…
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Firefighter Fitness- Do this to REDUCE Injuries…
Flexibility is often the most overlooked aspect of a an effective firefighter workout. Participating in an appropriate warm-up and cool down and stretching program has shown to help firefighter performance and reduce injuries by: Increasing physical efficiency and performance Increasing neuromuscular coordination Decreasing risk of severity of injury Decreasing risk of lower back pain Decreasing delayed onset muscle soreness Decreasing stress and tension What are the best ways, types and times to stretch (very important)? This is the first of a couple of posts about flexibility. Today I want to talk about the Active Warm-up. If you are like most of us, you were taught how to stretch in your high school weight lifting class and you’ve likely continued with pretty much the same routine ever since. Science, however, has moved on. Researchers now believe that some of the old school workout warm-up regimens are not only a waste of time but…
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Trick or Treat….Why Sugar is Bad
If your firehouse (or house) is anything like the one I work in its full of leftover candy and sweets. Now I must admit, I like a good treat now and then but often I have a very difficult time stopping with just one. Why? Sugar. Its everywhere in almost everything and too much of it can cause some serious health issues. Some foods, such as fruits and carrots, naturally contain sugar, but watch out for foods with added sugars, such as baked goods, cereals, crackers, even sauces and many other processed foods (many of which are around the firehouse). A typical American can consume between two to three pounds of sugar every week. As mentioned earlier, sugar is everywhere and is being processed in many foods we eat. These foods are not just sweets. Sugar in large quantities can be found in peanut butter, mayonnaise, bread, ketchup and many other…
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FRF Crew Challenge Workout
Total Body “CREW” Challenge Workout. Here is a great assessment and/ or workout to challenge your entire body. The workout does not require a lot of equipment so you can do it at the firehouse (or your house). You can substitute these exercises if you want based on your available equipment. You must perform the active warm-up first. This warm-up will increase your core temperature, improve range of motion and get you ready for the workout. (Click here for a quick overview of the warm-up exercises). Perform 2 circuits of the following 5 exercises: 1. Chops (5-10 reps) 2. Knee Hugs (5-10 reps each) 3. Spidermans (5-10 reps each) 4. Knees side to side (5-10 reps each) 5. Quadraped Rotations (5-10 reps each) After completing the warm-up go right into the workout. The goal is to perform as many reps as possible of each exercise in 2 minutes. Rest 1…
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Start your Next Firefighter Workout with This…
Are you still warming up for your workout by jogging or biking or maybe not at all? Each one of your workouts should start with specific active stretching movements. In the past you may have skipped this part, but I assure you these exercises will help strengthen and even tone your body. In fact, if you had just 15 minutes to workout I would want you do an active warm-up routine (or one like it). Every FRF Workout program (click here for information) begins with a specific active warm-up. Nothing else provides so much value in so little time. Active warm-ups prepare the body for movement, boosts your heart rate, core body temperature and increases blood flow to your muscles. These movements also improve the function of your nervous system. The main goal of active warm-ups is to improve the long-term mobility and flexibility of your muscles. By doing these exercises, you will be able…
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10 Simple Rules for Firefighter Fat Loss…
Would you agree that a leaner athlete is a better athlete? I know this is a “loaded” question. A lot of the answer has to deal with the sport in which the athlete is participating. One thing that research shows is that a leaner athlete is a “more efficient” athlete. When it comes to firefighters, this is a valid finding. Efficiency in general terms, describes the extent to which time, effort or cost is well used for the intended task or purpose. So, a more efficient Fire Rescue Athlete will be able to do more work with less physical effort. This is especially important since most of our “more intense” work as Fire Rescue Athletes comes when breathing air via an SCBA. The Holidays can be a challenging time to keep your weight in check. Here are 10 (actually 11) great tips to help you get stronger and leaner in the next…
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