Hastings Fire Department
TACTICAL FITNESS AND WELLNESS RESOURCE PAGE
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Great resources and workouts to help you improve your performance, reduce injuries, and prolong your career with HFD.
Get this 28-day Workout Program from FRF that will help you lose weight, gain strength, and improve your overall health and fitness.
Time to start training like a fire rescue athlete. FRF is offering a free 28-day workout program to help you lose weight, gain strength and take your fitness to the next level. The program includes access to the FRF tracking app, eating guides, coaching, and more. It is FREE for all HFD members. Give it a try!
Firehouse Fresh- Recipes designed to fuel hungry firefighters.
Designed by registered dieticians, these recipes are easy to prepare and healthy for your crew. Give them a try!
Addicted to Awake: Sleep Deprivation in the Fire Service
The hard truth is that almost 40 percent of firefighters suffer from a sleep disorder. According to a screening of 6,933 firefighters, 80 percent of those who tested positive had no prior awareness or previous diagnosis of their condition. This is a growing concern in the fire service.
Health & Fitness: Fitness for the Fire Attack
Here is a great article to help you prepare for the basement fire scenario. Advancing charged hoseline and fire attack are some of the most physically demanding activities we do on the fire ground. Make sure you are strong, mobile, and ready for the fire attack with these great exercises.
Functional Fitness for the Fire Service
Click the link below to obtain a copy of the presentation and slides from Aaron Zamzow's seminar on Functional Fitness for the Fire Service.
Additional Resources for you and your crew.
Foam Rolling Guide for the Fire Service
Muscles sore and tight from a previous shift or workout? Have you tried foam rolling? The compressed foam pieces floating around all the stations might just be the fitness tool you need to start feeling and moving better.
Five Steps to Better Nutrition
Eating in the firehouse or any house can be a challenge. This guide simplifies nutrition and gives easy to follow and applicable steps to help you "clean up" your diet and lean up. This manual includes:
-Five easy to follow guidelines to get you lean and “fit for duty.”
-Nutrition Hacks that will help you prepare and plan healthy meals
-Healthy Snack Options to insure you stay on track
-The 90-10 Eating Plan. Teaches you how to plan your "cheat meals" and stay on-track with your nutrition.
-Example meal plan
Additional Resources for you and your crew
Boosting Energy and Alertness: The Power of Coffee Naps for First Responders
Calling all first responders: are you in need of a boost during your long shifts? Discover the power of coffee naps to maximize your energy and productivity. Read why this combination is the perfect combination. Stay alert, refreshed, and ready to serve.
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A Workout That You “Never Forget”
As we approach this milestone, I encourage you to set aside some time in the coming days to pay tribute to those we lost and contemplate the profound impact of that day. In my heart, I firmly believe that one of the most meaningful ways to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice is by striving to be the absolute best versions of ourselves as first responders. This entails not only physical fitness but also mental fortitude. To keep your spirits high and your motivation soaring, FRF has designed a special challenge workout for you and your team, serving as a constant reminder…
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Best Practices for Managing First Responder Stress
Discover Best Practices for Managing First Responder Stress… Managing stress is essential, especially for first responders who face challenging situations every day. Discover valuable insights and strategies to help navigate the demands of the job and obtaining optimal performance. Take a step towards a healthier work-life balance today.
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Functional Upper body Exercise for Firefighters- Standing DB Press
What makes an exercise “functional” for firefighters, EMTs, and medics? In order to answer this question, we must first define what functional training means. The definitions can be varied and broad and often the term functional training is abused and over-used. Click to link to discover the best way to define functional training for firefighters.
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Ten Healthy Snacks for First Responders
It is possible to eat healthy as a first responder. Planning and preparation are the keys to proper nutrition. Having healthy snacks readily available are one of the best ways to avoid temptation and properly fuel your mind and body for your shift. Here is a great post from FRF with ten great snack options for first responders.
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Will Ice Baths Help First Responders with Stress?
You might have seen professional athletes hop in an ice bath after a game or long practice. Or maybe you know a fitness buff or celebrity who swears by ice baths for post-workout recovery. Cold-water plunges…
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The Best Nutrition Tips and Hacks for First Responders- Firefighters, Emts and Medics.
Learn how healthy first responders prepare and plan their nutrition. These tips and hacks will have you eating better and making fitness progress.
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Firefighter Fat Loss Tricks for the Firehouse (or any house).
Discover how these two tricks can help firefighters increase fat loss and improve their health.
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First Responders Improve Mobility- Start Your Next Shift with these 3 Movements
Do you check your body every shift like you check your equipment and rig? Here is a great way every first responder should begin their shift. These movements will prepare your body for the rigors of the shift and day.
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Why do Firefighters Have Heart Attacks?
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.)
Improve YOUR Sleep.
Firefighters often don't get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to real problems, including safety concerns. For anyone who has worked in the fire service, this is hardly news. One of the most difficult adjustments for new firefighters can be the shift work: the 10/14 split, the 24- or 48-hour workday. As firefighters age, sleep disorders can lead to serious health problems for them. Click here to read about the "7 Ways to improve your crew's sleep and safety
Why Firefighters Need YOGA
The truth of the matter is yoga can be as mellow or as arduous as you make it, just like any physical practice. The beauty of yoga is that it goes beyond just the physical. For firefighter’s yoga can be a really great way to relieve stress and center the body and mind. This is especially important considering the high stress of the job. Yoga, if you allow it to be so, could be one of the best ways to combat PTSD.
Click here to discover 5 Reasons Why Every Firefighter Should do Yoga. (Click here for the article.)
Goblet Squat for more Fireground Strength
We all know that stairs and climbing are major fire rescue movements performed on the fire ground so… improve your leg strength and you could improve your performance on the fire ground. One exercise is very good at doing just that…. the goblet squat. The goblet squat is a multi-joint lower body exercise that fires up (no pun intended) the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. Unlike the traditional back squat, the goblet squat is executed by keeping the body in an upright position, which results in less strain on the lower lumbar and spine and places an increased demand on your upper back and core. Goblet squats also help improve mobility in the hip, thus helping you out with other fire rescue movement patterns. Click here for a great tutorial on the Goblet Squat
If you have any questions, please reach out to Aaron (click here).