Issue Archive: March 2007

On The Job (Fitness) Training

Author: Jay Smith

Long hours. Shift work. Fast food. Boredom. Adrenaline dumps. This reads like an a´ la carte menu of the behaviors that contribute to poor health. It also represents the elements of the job descriptions for public safety officers and those that staff their emergency communications centers. Morbidity (disease) and mortality (death) occur at higher rates and earlier ages among all public safety personnel compared to the rest of the population.   Many factors contribute to this set of circumstances. However, the results are not inevitable; although some characteristics of the public safety function are immutable, the lifestyle choices of those that perform the duties are, indeed, optional. In this article we will explore some of the health facts of public safety, the factors that contribute to them, and begin to develop a plan to perhaps avoid them.

 

The Facts

More than 50 percent of the deaths in this country are attributable to lifestyle choices. Principally among them are:

• Sedentary lifestyle: Less than 20 percent of Americans exercise on a regular basis and less than 10 percent do so vigorously three or more times per week. Long hours in a generally inactive profession further contribute to an overall dearth of planned, whole body movement. Poor cardiovascular fitness or a sedentary lifestyle is a primary risk factor for Coronary Heart Disease and it contributes to the development of other cardiovascular and metabolic disorders.
• Poor diet: Excessive fat, salt, sugar, processed foods and takeout dining are some of the known causes of diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and colon cancer. However, meal or nutrient timing and shift work, eating too fast and on the run and ‘comfort eating’ are some other common dietary practices that contribute to the development of disease.
• Obesity: Body mass index (body weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared, then multiplied by 705, e.g.{ [200/ (72 x 72)] x 705}) in excess of 25 or body fat levels greater than 25 percent for males and 30 percent for females indicates obesity levels in adults. Currently occurring in more than 30 percent of the American population, obesity may be the single greatest preventable health risk we face today.
• Smoking: If obesity isn’t the most significant risk to health, smoking certainly is in contention. All tobacco products have been linked to the development of various cancers and in many instances, to heart disease. The bottom line is this: If you smoke, stop. If you don’t smoke, don’t start.
• Stress: Everybody understands the difference between stressors and the stress response as well as the symptoms of excessive stress in your life. Other less well known ways stress can contribute to poor health include combating stress with food, the hormonal implications of excessive stress, the impact of stress on sleep and the vicious cycle all of these factors create.
• Substance abuse: People take many different approaches to stress management: a few drinks after shift, ‘harmless’ recreational drug use and self-medication with too easily available over the counter and prescription medications. Not to be overlooked in some segments of public safety: steroid use and ‘club drugs’ such as ecstasy is more common among younger people new to the professions.
• Managing known health risks: All of the above behaviors can fall under this umbrella category. However, in addition public safety agencies and their employees play a role in managing health risks in more subtle ways: regular checkups and compliance with medication instructions are two of them.

 

Getting Started

Whether you’re already pretty fit or just considering starting a program, an initial or periodic assessment is a good idea. Get a notepad—a small one that will fit in a cargo pocket is sufficient, and record the following:

 

1. Body Weight: _________

Why: Being overweight significantly increases your risk of diabetes, cancer, arthritis and other conditions.

What: Although ideal body weight may be a distant goal, a loss of even 10 or 20 pounds can significantly reduce cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

 

2. Body Mass Index: ________

Why: Although not as accurate as body fat, BMI, particularly together with waist and hip measurements, is a fair estimation of health risk for obesity-related conditions.

What: Ideal BMI is under 25.

 

3. Waist (Usually just above the navel): ______

Hip (At the widest area of the buttocks): ______

Why: Fat deposition sites, not just absolute levels, are significant predictors of heart disease and cancer risks. ‘Apple’ shaped people, those with more weight above their waist than below (‘pear’- shaped people), may be at greater risk.

What: A waist smaller than 40 inches for males, and 35 inches for females is the goal.

 

4. Blood Pressure: _______

Why: Periodic spikes in blood pressure are to be expected in public safety; however, chronic hypertension is linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.

What: Taken over a series of days, the preponderance of the readings should be under 140/ 90.

 

5. Resting Heart Rate: ________

Why: Heart rates will also periodically climb during shift along with blood pressure. Several days of measurement, upon first waking before rising, will, however, give an indication f the efficiency and workload of the cardiovascular system.

What: Stress, poor fitness, lack of sleep and illness will raise resting heart rate levels; improved fitness will reduce resting levels. The adult resting heart rate is about 72 beats per minute.

 

The numbers recorded above should be kept for review after three or four months of activity and intervention, not obsessed over weekly. This simple step of recording baseline data, may point to current risk levels, help direct your efforts and aid in assessing the efficacy of your program.

 

A Plan

One of the reasons commonly offered for not starting or sticking to an activity/exercise program is ‘not enough time.’ This is a very real concern for many people. With that in mind, focus on getting started and building on the most important piece—changing behaviors while at work. Communications or dispatch centers vary by jurisdiction and location. This plan will be based on several, modifiable assumptions: there is some room to move around, you have a headset available to allow you to be active and if there isn’t another person in the center with you, you can fairly easily talk with somebody when you need or want to.

 

Weight Management

The results of your ‘weigh-in’ and measurement may suggest that weight loss should be part of your plan. Here are a few suggestions:

• Recognize your personal food behaviors—Food cravings may suggest a deficiency, e.g. salty foods when sodium levels are low. Cravings may also suggest stress, depression or the need for comfort—think ‘comfort foods.’ Boredom eating and living on your ‘ines’—caffeine and nicotine are also behaviors, as are skipping breakfast and eating too fast.
• Keep a food log—By writing down what you eat before you put it in your mouth, you take an important step toward ‘dietary compliance.’
• Eliminate sodas and reduce caffeine consumption—One can of soda may contain upwards of 200 calories. By substituting water for soda and the occasional green tea for coffee you may sleep better after shift and save yourself more than 1,000 calories a week.
• Pack food instead of eating out (in)—Variety in life is nice; variety in diet can lead to overeating. When lots of novel flavors are available, we tend to overeat to fulfill that need for taste. Packing food is also less expensive, healthier, allows for portion control and facilitates smaller meals all day long instead of one or two larger meals.

 

The Exercise Plan

All you’ll need is a pair of comfortable shoes, loose fitting clothing and a commitment to the plan. Optional items include a rollup exercise mat or towel, hand-weights—three to five pounds for females and five to eight pounds for males to start—a stop watch and a sturdy box for stepping.

 

Cardiovascular Training

While 20 minutes at your target heart rate on your favorite bicycle path may not be possible, walking in place, box stepping or even jumping jacks will increase your heart rate, delivering blood and oxygen to the working muscles. It may also help to fight off drowsiness in the early morning hours. Shoot for 30 second intervals with one to three minutes recovery time to start. If you work with somebody in the center, they can time you and alternate with you. Try using the handweights periodically to ‘goose’ your heart rate.

 

Strength Training

Adding some resistance training to the overall plan may aid in building muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat during exercise and rest-even when you sleep. One and two

legged squats, lunges, squats with a press, wall-knee-or floor pushups, bench dips, crunches or sit-ups, back extensions and side bends represent a short list of exercises. If you’re already pretty strong, your partner can give you the added resistance necessary to make your workouts challenging.

 

Aim for at least one exercise per body part. Start with one set of 10 repetitions and build up to at least three sets of 10. Competition is also healthy.With your partner, match each other for reps: you do one, they do one, you do two, they do two, etc. When you can’t do any more, start back at one repetition and climb up again. Record your progress.

 

Flexibility Training

Flexibility is the parameter of fitness you get and lose the quickest. It’s also very commonly overlooked in the overall plan. As your shift is winding down or after a crisis, use static stretching as a means to relax and recover. Breathing is essential to stretching (and relaxing); take a deep breath in through your nose, exhale through you mouth, and slowly stretch as far as you can. Relax and hold the stretched position. Repeat twice more, building on the range of motion—not returning to the starting position. Particular attention should be paid to hips, lower back, hamstrings, shoulders, neck, trapezius,   hands, wrists and forearms as these sites ‘gather tension’ and can become problematic as a result of hours on the job.

 

Wrapping It Up

If you are currently sedentary-a male over 40 years of age or a female over 50 years of age-you may consider collecting the baseline data during a regular checkup. At that time speak with your physician about starting an exercise or activity program. Start out moderately and very gradually build momentum. Remember, it’s unlikely you got out of shape overnight and you probably will not change things that quickly either.

 

Finally, make a commitment to yourself first. Then make a commitment to help out a partner. Your partner will support, push and possibly help reward you. As noted earlier, the most important part of the plan is changing behavior. To that end, focus on the process first, then the outcome later. Good luck!

 

Jay E. Smith, Jr., M.S., C.S.C.S., USAW, is the president of FitForce ™ : Total Fitness Solutions for Public Safety, and the founder of Integrated Fitness Systems. Jay can be reached at (978) 745-3629 or at http://fitforce.org.

 

Sidebar

For Additional Help

Many resources are available locally in your community as well as online. Here is a short list of those available on the Web:

 

• http://healthylearning.com:Healthy Learning, Inc. publishes and produces books and videos for the program participant as well as your in-house instructors. Much of their material is produced in conjunction with the major fitness organizations in the country.

 

• http://healthline.com: An online service providing a ‘Medically Guided Search™.’ The information provided is filtered and medically refereed; in it, you can answers to questions about vitamins and minerals, activity and exercise, as well as medical conditions. Healthline also has a newsletter you can subscribe to for regular updates.

 

• http://americanheart.org: The American Heart Association (AHA). The AHA and all of the major nonprofit health organizations have Web sites that provide many of their services and products. Almost all of them also have subscription newsletters.

 

• There are many Web sites offering assistance with smoking cessation. One of them is appropriately named http://smoking-cessation.org.

 

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers many services online. One of them, http://mypyramid.gov is very helpful. My Pyramid allows you to develop your own food pyramid; it also full of general dietary information and offers links to the other USDA sites. Check it out and make your own food pyramid.