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Last Updated: Thursday, September 02, 2010

National Firefighter Health Week: Focus on Fitness & Nutrition

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Firefighters and EMS personnel face many health risks due to the nature of their job. The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is working to create awareness of health issues with their National Firefighter Health Week. FDNNTV.com's Barbara Brooks takes a look at what firefighters can do to be proactive about staying healthy in today's feature, "Focus on Fitness and Nutrition".

Fitness and nutrition are the cornerstones of any fire department's wellness program. In terms of the heart, Dr. Matthew Jay Budoff, the Program Director of Cardiology at Los Angeles BioMed, says, "I think exercise is probably the most important, especially in a job like firefighters, where they are expected to go from 0 to 60 in exactly 90 seconds. They have 90 seconds to gear up and get rolling on that truck."

Departments utilize many different techniques and programs to promote healthy lifestyles. The Orange County Fire Authority has a system called 'WEFIT,' and one piece of equipment they use is the TRX System. The portable and compact structure provides a full body workout at an affordable price. Lynnette Round of the Orange County Fire Authority comments, "It is very difficult. Here I thought I was in pretty good shape, but this is taking it to a whole new level."

The other half of exercising and maintaining a fitness regimen is nutrition. Along with their 'Fired Up For Fitness Challenge', the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) feels that the heart healthy firefighters should have low fat diets. Lillian Ricardo of the National Volunteer Fire Council, explains, "A lot of fire departments cook within the fire department. So . . . it's a second home for many and . . . making sure that nutritious meals are being provided . . . is really important, and . . . we have a 'Heart Healthy Firefighter Cookbook' that's filled with delicious and nutritious recipes for fire departments."

To learn more about what your department can do, please visit http://www.healthy-firefighter .org.

FDNNTV.com's Coverage of National Firefighter Health Week

National Firefighter Health Week: Know Your Risks

National Firefighter Health Week: Keep Your Head in the Game

National Firefighter Health Week: Matters of the Heart

Author:Barbara Brooks - FDNNTV.com

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