Six pack? Only in the cooler!

[DFIB]

Physical fitness is a key component for EMS providers in the field. It is also possibly one of the areas that is most neglected. I hear guys post that they are no longer in the field because of injury. I read of the high incidence of emergency workers and on the job heart attacks.

How often do you work out?

How often do you do cardio and how often do you lift weights?

Are you happy with your workout regimen?

[Just Plain Ruff]

Physical fitness is a key component for EMS providers in the field. It is also possibly one of the areas that is most neglected. I hear guys post that they are no longer in the field because of injury. I read of the high incidence of emergency workers and on the job heart attacks.

How often do you work out?

How often do you do cardio and how often do you lift weights?

Are you happy with your workout regimen?

I run at least a mile 3 times a week. I trained for a 5k and ran it.

I do not do much in strength training though because I do not belong to a gym or have weights at home.

Cardio is what I do almost exclusively.

I'm pretty happy with my regimen when I actually get off my couch potato butt and do it.

[Kaisu]

Work out 2x per week with weights - do almost no cardio at all.

Really need to do cardio

While fitness is an important factor in safety/injury prevention, I believe a bigger contributor to injuries is lack of familiarity with equipment.

I was seriously hurt on the job because my partner had no formal training and very little experience with a new stretcher. He was a bigger than me moose of a young southern boy and could bench the stretcher with patient if required. What he didn't get is stabilizing a stretcher without a platform at the base on uneven ground is not the same as with one that has a platform at the base.

It was instinctive on his part and was the wrong instinct for that stretcher.

I miraculously escaped serious injury off the job when after 30 years of driving rear wheel vehicles in ice and snow I instinctively took my foot off the accelerator of a front wheel drive vehicle and rolled the mofo at 75mph. Wrong instinct.

Anyway, didn't mean to hijack your thread in the third post. Gotta lay off the coffee.

[Vorenus]

I`ve been slacking in that area the last time, mainly because I`m often too tired/too lazy after the amount of shifts I do .

I`ve been swimming regularly in the pool, in summer in lakes, I`m really into outdoor swimming (I wanna do Alcatraz - San Francisco one day).

At home I do pushups, crunches and do some lifting with personal gear. Otherwise I work out at work on a daily basis .

[paramedicmike]

Cardio and strength training of some sort (outside of work) daily. If I don't work out I get really grumpy.

[cprted]

I try to hit the gym 3-4 times per week. Good mix of cardio, weights and core strength. Doing fitness classes has been good for me as the trainers usually push (and by push, I mean yell at) you harder than you would ordinarily push yourself.

The class that I've been enjoying the most is a Spin/TRX combo class. 30 mins on the spin bike and 30 mins working TRX. The 'TRX Suspension Trainer' is a very versatile strength training system that lets you work just about any muscle group in your body and you can set it up just about anywhere. I've been thinking of getting one with the door anchor for the station.

[chbare]

Cardio at the gym for 35 minutes twice a day followed by a 25 minute cardio before I go to bed. Lift light free weights for about 10 minutes a day and try to walk 30 minutes a day. Also do 10 minutes of abs and stretching before going to bed at night. Unfortunately, I am still a bit of a plumpkin...

[Kaisu]

Unfortunately, I am still a bit of a plumpkin...

80% is what you put in your mouth....

[chbare]

So they say. I was very light weight in my 20's ( 6'1" and 148 pounds) and generally felt horrible. Currently a bit overweight ( around 200 pounds and a bit shorter) but feel much better and I don't get sick as often. So, I pretty much maintain. My n=1 experience in any event.

[Kaisu]

So they say. I was very light weight in my 20's ( 6'1" and 148 pounds) and generally felt horrible. Currently a bit overweight ( around 200 pounds and a bit shorter) but feel much better and I don't get sick as often. So, I pretty much maintain. My n=1 experience in any event.

6'1" and 200lbs is not plumpkin sir.. 6'1" and 200lbs is pretty healthy.. and hot