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
Why Zone 2 Cardio is a Game-Changer for Firefighters and First Responders
Zone 2 cardio is essential for first responders, enhancing endurance, recovery, and mental resilience crucial for managing emergency situations. It operates at 60-70% of an individual’s maximum heart rate, promoting fat oxidation for energy and improving cardiovascular health. Incorporating multiple Zone 2 sessions weekly, alongside strength training, fosters better physical preparedness and hardiness. This training method not only benefits personal health but also ensures that first responders can effectively serve their communities by optimizing their readiness and performance.
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Improve Core Strength and Reduce Back Pain with These Exercises
These three exercises can dramatically improve the way you move on and off the fire/ rescue scene. They can also reduce back pain and improve core strength. Are you doing these?
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What is the Best Firefighter Workout Program?
This topic is near and dear to mine and your hearts and careers–Workouts for Firefighters and Fire Rescue Athletes. Over the last couple of months I’ve been researching, talking, tweaking and writing about some of the more popular workouts…
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On-shift Firefighter Interval Workout
I get a lot of emails asking for good workout options for the firehouse when on shift. Working out on shift is a major concern; you want to ensure you keep your body in good “fit…
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The Five Steps Every First Responder Must Take to Improve Their Functional Fitness
How can you improve your functional fitness and be better prepared for the rigors of the job as a first responder (firefighter, EMT, and/or paramedic)? Start by reading and applying these steps… #GETFRF
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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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Boosting Resilience: Essential Strategies for First Responders in 2025.
Are you ready to build Resilience and take your fitness to the next level? Here are five truths you need to understand in order to do so. In the intense and high-stakes world of firefighting, emergency…
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The Firefighters Guide to Staying Fit Through the Holidays.
Optimize Your Health and Fitness This Holiday Season: Essential Tips for Firefighters
As the holiday season approaches, stress levels often rise while overall health tends to decline. For firefighters, maintaining fitness and nutrition during this busy time can be challenging. It’s all too easy to set aside your health goals until the new year. But this year, let’s commit to making health a priority – after all, it’s the “Year of Health”!
To help you maintain your fitness progress and manage stress during the holidays, we’ve compiled essential fitness tips specifically for firefighters. These actionable strategies will keep your waistline in check and help you navigate the season with ease. Embrace the holiday spirit while prioritizing your well-being with these firefighter-focused health and fitness tips!
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Firefighter Tabata Workout Option to Improve Performance
Looking for an efficient and effective way to improve your cardio performance on (and off) the fireground? Try this FRF Firefighter Tabata Interval…
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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).