National Firefighter Health Week - Day 5 - Strength For Life

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"Strength For Life" is the theme for the fifth and final day of National Firefighter Health Week, which focuses on how first responders can assist their health by making a commitment to continue practicing healthy habits for life. "Nutrition and fitness really do control our health destiny," claims Franklin Pratt, MD, with the LA County Fire Department.

Many firefighters and other first responders are so busy with their occupation that they feel it is not manageable to practice good nutrition and make time for fitness, but it is essential to their career and keeping themselves safe, according to Health & Safety Project Coordinator for the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), Lillian Ricardo.

Captain Kevin Klar, Wellness & Fitness Coordinator with Los Angeles County Fire Department tells his trainees to consider themselves occupational athletes. "Their body is their best tool, so they're training for the next 30 years. They are not training just for tomorrow, or the next day. The older we get, the more careful we need to be with the exercise routines that we participate in, so that we don't increase ourselves the risk, unknowingly," he explains.

Good nutrition and eating habits are also important components for reducing the risk of obtaining cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Pratt explains that it is no small task to change how we eat, saying it is a major behavioral change. Taking baby steps is advised and most importantly - doing it every day. Also, if you happen to miss a day, it is not a huge failure or setback.

Building a healthy life-style is one thing, but keeping that momentum going is a lot more difficult. Lillian Ricardo states that volunteer firefighters have their full-time job and also volunteer almost full-time as a whole second job. Often times, they are involved in the community in other ways as well. Therefore, it is difficult for volunteers to make time for themselves.

According to Dr. Pratt, the fire service is a peer driven culture and the social aspect of the service is one of the key reasons people enjoy their profession. That culture can be used as a tool to change difficult behaviors as they relate to diet and exercise. "Get together with your crew. If everybody is doing it together, how they eat, how they workout, how they decide sleep patterns, how they share work, we are all much more effective and ultimately, we will get to the goal," says Pratt.

Many use the excuse that there is no gym available to them for exercise. However, Captain Klar remarks, "It doesn't take a gym. You've got everything available to you right with your body. And you certainly can incorporate lots of body wave movements right out in the open field, on the grass, on the track, and you can stay very fit and very healthy just by doing those things."

Ricardo adds that taking the time to practice healthy habits is essential for first responders because their communities and families, both at home and their department, are depending on them to be strong and healthy.

In addition to all the free fitness and nutrition resources available through the NVFC, the National Volunteer Fire Council also has a Heart-Healthy Firefighter Cookbook available to first responders. 

Contributors to this story:
Barbara Brooks - Video Reporter
Ann Zevely - Video Editor
Renee Marquart - Text Story



Author:B. Brooks, A. Zevely and R. Marquart - FDNNTV.com