If your on a plan, I applaud you and hope this will enhance your knowledge. If your not, NO MORE EXCUSES! You know what it takes to do this job. You know that year after year LODD stay the same with Cardiac issues. You know that to the best firefighter you can be you have to be in good health. No one is forcing you do to this job. If you love eating twinkies so much why don't you work for Hostess?
Nothing worth doing is easy. Nothing easy is worth doing. Anything worth doing is worth doing right. It's time to make some changes. The 4 basics of good health, at least for Emergency Personnel:DIET-Most people associate the word diet with losing weight. To some degree this holds true, but you really need to think about what diet really is. Diet is nutrition, what we eat, what we consume to fuel our bodies. Key word there is fuel. Food supplies us with energy for living. During strenuous times our bodies use additional fuel to complete the task. What some fail to realize is it's just as important to RE-FUEL after work. Here is a easy way to think about how this process works:
You are going on a trip. You fill up your tank with gas. You drive 55 mph. Your using a moderate amount of gas. Then you get on the interstate where the speed limit is 70 mph, your car now has to work harder, it uses more fuel. You have to stop to re-fuel, then you'll have the fuel to keep going.
It's a very lame analogy but it works. Your body is an extremly technical machine.
CARDIOVASCULAR- This really should be a no brainer. Your ticker is the most impotant part of your body. When it goes you go. This system isn't just your heart. From a medical standpoint we all understand what the cardiovascular system does. But when you tax this system during hard work, you put stress on other systems of the body. I could get into all the details but it's best to focus on why you need to be heart smart. A good balanced cardio routine will do wonders for you on the fireground. Not only will tasks be accomplished quicker you'll still have energy to do other tasks. Go for a run, a ride a walk even. Park out further in the parking lot, use the stairs not the elevator. What ever floats your boat, do it. Just get that blood pumping!
STRENGTH- Yes we are all big macho strong men right?? We can bench press a VW Bug ten times right? When was the last time you could do a pull up or bend at the knees and lift properly? We love hitting the gym, Im right their with you. But lets get real, lets get strong. Strong muscles also promotes strong bones, joint and evens promotes healthy weight. The size of your biceps counts for nothing on the fireground. Hit all the major muscles and hit em hard. Give yourself plenty of rest between workouts and don't stand in the "bicep station" (power rack) and do curls for 3 hours.
REST- GET SLEEP, enough said.
In no way am I an expert, "professional educated" in this subject matter. Most of it just makes sense once you understand the simple science of how our bodies work. I have through expirience of my own and others, seen what works. Do yourself a favor get fit, be fit and stay fit. Your life depends on it, your family depends on it and your brothers depend on it. Lets get those LODD numbers down. It starts now.