The 10 Minute Workout

One of our biggest excuses for lack of exercise is simple, it’s lack of time. Most of our time is spent working, sleeping, family obligations and friends. Very rarely do people say they have or make time for exercise, which in our profession is very unfortunate since as we’ve said in numerous posts thus far, we are “functional athletes” and need to behave, think and train like one; mentality and physically. 

In order to enjoy our life, our family, friends, combat the stress of the job and continue to feel healthy for the long haul, exercise is essential to this and what I am sharing with you all today is the 10 min work out you can do at home, in the gym, on the go and even in the firehouse alone or with your crew.

Why am I saying all of this?
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, it is recommended to have at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic pace exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. Depending on how hard you work out that will equate to 21 minutes per day of moderate aerobic pace exercise or 11 minutes per day of vigorous exercise.

So here are a few options of the 10 minute workout:

1.    Jogging: This is great for cardiovascular health, lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol and is known to decrease the risk of osteoporosis. The American Council on Exercise states that an individual weighing 180lbs can burn up to 170 calories by taking a 10min jog.
2.    High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): This is my personal favorite and although it burns calories and fat quickly, it is not recommended for beginners. HIIT is a form of interval training and cardiovascular exercise training alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods. This type of workout will challenge your cardiovascular system more than jogging along with added benefits such as increasing your metabolism, improves cholesterol profile and increases insulin sensitivity. A bodyweight HIIT Workout would look something like this: 50 sit-ups, 40 jump squats (or body squats), 30 pushups, 20 split jumps, 10 triceps dips, as many burpees as possible in 30 seconds. You will take a 30 second rest between each exercise in order to perform each exercise with 100% effort. 
3.    Circuit Training: This a great strength training workout due to strength training .Generally strength training requires rest periods between sets for muscle recovery however with circuit training uses antagonistic muscles (when one muscle contracts, the other relaxes, i.e. biceps and triceps) allowing for shorter rest periods An example of this would be as follows: 3 sets of 10 reps.
a.    Pushups
b.    Hollow body hold
c.    Squats
d.    Glute bridges
e.    Bench dips
f.    Plank hold (30-60 sec holds)
4.    Jump Rope: Jumping rope can burn more than 10 calories in a minute and a great way for overall body toning. Here is a quick jump rope workout you can do anywhere. 60 seconds regular jump, 60 seconds rope side to side, 60 seconds single leg (left), 60 seconds single leg (right). The goal is to do this routine non-stop for 2 rounds. If you are new to this, do regular jumps for 60 seconds for 4 rounds with 30 second rests. For the single leg jumps, start with the weaker or less dominant side first. 

So, there you have it. Four different workouts we can do any time, any where for overall health. Incorporate these into your daily life will have you feeling healthier, stronger and battle ready to perform when the alarm goes off.  

Please note: Always consult with your physician before getting into physical activities while recovering from any injury or surgery. It may not be the best treatment option after an injury or surgery or may be limited to particular modalities.

Until next time: work hard, stay safe & live inspired.

About the Author

NICHOLAS J. HIGGINS is a firefighter with 16 years in the fire service in Piscataway, NJ as well as NJ State certified level 2 fire instructor and currently a State of New Jersey Advocate for the National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation. He has also been elected as a township elected District Fire Commissioner for 1 term (3 years) in Piscataway, NJ from 2008-2011. A blue belt in taekwondo and former collegiate athlete, Nick is currently studying to complete his certification as a TRX Instructor and a Battle Ropes Instructor. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Kean University and is the founder/contributor of the Firehouse Tribune website.

Sleep and Firefighters

One thing firefighters have been known to lack, is lack of sleep. Generally, not something that is talked about or brought up in conversation, but lack of sleep has links to firefighter injury and death. Think about it, emergency service personnel live off shift work and interrupted sleep patterns which are out of their control since alarms can happen any time of any day.

According to The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, sleep or interrupted sleep patterns could be a major factor in more than 60 percent of firefighter deaths. The majority of these are caused by heart attacks and traffic accidents. Research has shown that approximately 7,000 firefighters have reported to suffer from numerous sleep disorders such as obstructed sleep apnea, insomnia and shift-work disorder which was reported by the New York Times.

They also reported firefighters are also more likely to develop serious health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and anxiety because of sleep disorders. In addition to these health problems, firefighters are also likely to report an increase in kidney disease, high blood pressure, stroke and obesity.

NYTHEALTH RESEARCH

Firefighter Deaths Could be Linked to Poor Sleep

Helen Regan Nov. 14, 2014

Sleep plays an integral role in physical health and especially of one of a functional athlete.

The human body is built with an internal clock and changing to our sleep patterns at any time can disrupt or alter the internal clock which is built on routine – something we don’t have much of as firefighters. While sleeping our bodies are healing and repairing our heart, blood vessels, muscles and allowing our bodies to heal. In addition, sleep with repair and consolidate memory. 

So what could we do to ensure we get a sufficient amount of sleep off duty so we are recharged and energized for our next shift?

Here are a few tips to try while off duty:

1. Routine. This is important. Stick to a sleep schedule while home.

2. Power Down. Turn off or avoid all electronic devices 30-60 minutes prior to bed.

3. Keep Cool. Try to keep the bedroom cooler than other areas of the house. Majority of people sleep more soundly in a cooler bedroom.

4. No alcohol or caffeine. Both are known to disrupt sleep patterns either by unexpected wake ups or restless sleep.

5. Comfort. Invest in a pillow and/or mattress that’s comforting to you. This also helps eliminate muscle, nerve and joint pains especially headaches.

6. FAST. Try hard to avoid large meals close to bedtime as much as possible.

Proper training, proper nutrition and proper recovery (along with sleep) are all vital to our success as firefighters on the job and off. 

Until next time; work hard, stay safe & life inspired.

About the Author

NICHOLAS J. HIGGINS is a firefighter with 16 years in the fire service all within departments in Piscataway, NJ. Nick has held the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain as well as being a township elected District Fire Commissioner for 1 term (3 years) in Piscataway, NJ. He is also a NJ State certified level 2 fire instructor and currently a State of New Jersey Advocate for the National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Kean University working in Corporate Taxation and is the founder/contributor of the Firehouse Tribune website.

Embrace the Burpee

As we know and as we said in numerous blogs thus far, we are functional athletes and because of this, we place a significant emphasis on core stability and strength. This is one of the main purposes of functional fitness.

So where am I going with this? Well, what do elite athletes and military forces have i common?? They EMBRACE THE BURPEE!!

So what exactly is a burpee? A burpee is a calorie-torching, strength-building, full body exercise that can also be done anytime anywhere. The best part, it’s all about speed.

Tip: don’t start off fast, start slow and gradually build up a good pace.

Now why should us as firefighters embrace the burpee? Here are a number of reasons to embrace the burpee.

1. Total body fat torching exercise that burn up to 50% more body fat than moderate exercise.

2. Speeds up your metabolism. This will help burn calories even after the workout is finished.

3. It is the ultimate example of functional fitness and a total body workout. Burpees will hit your chest, back, biceps, triceps, gluteus, quads, hamstrings and abs.

4. This is a great way to condition your body for overall health. Conditioning and endurance training is key for all firefighters to keep your body healthy and ready. Also, this will get your heart rate up quickly for conditioning and endurance.

We spoke about why burpees are a good addition to firefighter fitness so now here are a few burpee exercises we can do:

1. 21-15-9-6-3
burpees, body squats, plyo-pushups.
This is a 5set workout starting with 21 reps (in order) with a min rest then 15 reps and so forth and so on until all 5 sets are complete.

2. Burpee-pull-up
Do a burpee in front of a pull up bar, then do a (jumping) pull up. As many as you can for time (time limit: 3min).

3. Burpee-push-up
Do a burpee and upon completion of the burpee do 1 push-up. Continue that sequence for 2min.

4. 100 burpee challenge. Aim for 100 burpees in 15min. Do as many as possible before taking a break then continue.

5. Burpee-sprint
Do 1 burpee then sprint 50yds and do another burpee. That’s one set. Do this for 5 sets. Rest 1 min between sets.

Take these workouts to your firehouse, your home, anywhere and have fun with them. These workouts can also be a great team building exercise as well with multiple benefits all in one. 

Please note: Always consult with your physician before getting into physical activities while recovering from any injury or surgery. It may not be the best treatment option after an injury or surgery or may be limited to particular modalities. 

Until next time; work hard, stay safe & live inspired.

 About the Author

NICHOLAS J. HIGGINS is a firefighter with 15 years in the fire service all within departments in Piscataway, NJ. Nick has held the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain as well as being a township elected District Fire Commissioner for 1 term (3 years) in Piscataway, NJ. He is also a NJ State certified level 2 fire instructor and currently a State of New Jersey Advocate for the National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Kean University working in Corporate Taxation and is the founder/contributor of the Firehouse Tribune website. 

Benefits of Yoga in the Fire Service

As humans, regularly or daily exercise is important to our overall health. Studies have shown, it helps your improve the immune system, decreases stress levels and helps reduce the risk of developing several diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Overall, physical activity and exercise can have and improve immediate and long-term health benefits but most importantly, it can improve your quality of life.

With all that said, I would like to talk about yoga and it's benefits on us as firefighters and how it could improve our performance on the job, our health and general wellness.

According to the NFPA's "U.S. Firefighter Injuries - 2015", there were 68,085 reported injuries in the fire service in 2015. I would have used 2016 statistics but the report hasn't been released yet. So what does our health, exercise and NFPA injuries report have to do with yoga in the fire service?

Well the majority of the injuries in the report both fire ground and training were strains, sprains and muscle pains. Granted some injuries cannot be prevented, however we do have a chance at keeping our bodies healthy and fit for when it's time to do the job because let's face it, we are athletes. Function athletes at that. Our bodies could take a beating during training and on runs. It's up to you how well you prepare yourself. No one said 50lbs of gear including carrying tools would be easy to wear and operate in and  all in a functional manner.

With that being said, I would like to discuss the benefits of yoga and how incorporating this into your fitness regime could help benefit you as a firefighter also known as a function athlete. Mind you, I am not an expert and do not claim to be. I am only sharing my experiences with the exercise and how it can help us as firefighters on the job and off.

For thousands of centuries, people throughout the world have practiced yoga poses and techniques for health and well-being. Yoga brings together the mind and body in a combination of physical postures, breathing techniques and meditation. These have been shown to reduce heart rate and blood pressure, relieve anxiety and depression, and improve chronic low-back pain. All of these have been found in firefighters at a high rate due to the stressors and physical and mental nature of the job while on duty or off.

Yoga itself is a form of healing exercise that can be very beneficial for improving function and flexibility. As mentioned throughout this article, we are functional athletes. Benefits of yoga for us as functional athletes can provide the following:

Raises heart rate - making it both a great cardio and fat burning workout

Works the muscles fully, but in a low impact way that doesn’t stress the joints as much as weight training

Increases cognitive function, coordination, and balance

Greater flexibility, reduced tension, and stress

With that said, this can improve our duration to work under tension as well as how we maneuver in our PPE and SCBA for long durations in and out of IDLH environments.

The intense styles of yoga, could also strengthen muscles throughout the body through various poses. By practicing yoga it is also a chance for you to give back to yourself with time spent in relaxation, contemplation, and reflection to energize your mind and soul. Mentality this is a great way to relief the stressors of the job and have a long, healthy career for yourself, your family and your crew.

Practicing yoga is generally safe for healthy individuals. However, if you have a health condition that can be exacerbated by heat or deep stretching it is advisable to consult your healthcare provider before starting yoga or trying more intense styles. It is also important to find an instructor who will be mindful of your limitations and restrictions.

Here are a few poses you could try at home, on duty with your crew or at the gym:

Whether you're a beginner or a well-practiced yogi, these poses will stretch your body, open your mind, and bring you back to your center. Hold each pose for three - five breaths, or combine the postures into a routine, moving from one pose to another and repeating several times.

Balasana aka Child's pose

A restorative, forward bend pose. Aligning at the spine and stretching the hips, low back, and middle back, balasana is used as a resting position between more difficult poses.

1.Start on your hands and knees.

2.Sit back so that your hips are over the top of your ankles.

3.Allow your body to completely relax with your head on the floor.

4.Your arms can be lying back by your feet or outstretched above your head. Your knees can either be close together or spread apart.

5.Find what is most comfortable for you.

Bhujangasana aka Cobra pose

This position used to strengthen the vertebral column and to stretch the abdominal and shoulder muscles.

1.Start in a high plank (top of push-up).

2.Lower your body to the floor before pressing your upper body back up.

3.Straighten arms and arch your back while keeping your knees on the floor and squeezing your glutes.

4.Be mindful of any tension in your lower back and stop if you feel discomfort.

Adho Mukh Svanasana aka Downward Dog pose

A forward bend pose strengthening arms and legs, while stretching shoulders, hands, hamstrings, calves and arches of your feet.

1.Start in high plank (top of push-up).

2.Lift your hips to the ceiling, drop your heels to the floor, and push your chest back toward your knees.

Ardha Matsyendrasana aka Half Lord of Fishes pose

This is a seated, twisting, hip-opener that realigns and lengthens the spine. It also stretches the shoulders, hips, and neck.

1.In a seated position, bend your left knee and pull your left foot up to the outside of your right hip.

2.At the same time, cross your right foot over your left knee with the right knee pointing up.

3.Twist gently to your right by placing your left elbow outside your right knee and your right hand behind you on the floor.

4.Make sure to maintain a tall, straight spine.

5.Inhale and exhale as you twist as far as you are able without discomfort.

6.Repeat on the other side.

Virabhadrasana I aka Warrior One pose

A hip-opener as well as chest-opener pose, strengthening legs while stretching arms and legs.

1.Start in a high plank (top of push-up).

2.Step your right foot forward into a deep lunge.

3.Lifting your upper body straight up, continue lunging forward onto your right knee while tilting your upper body further back.

4.Raise arms above your head and sink your hips low, striving to maintain a straight back leg.

5.Repeat on the other side.

References:

NFPA - National Fire Protection Association 

Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

National Institute of Health

CDC National Health Statistics Report

Yoga Journal

 About the Author

NICHOLAS J. HIGGINS is a firefighter with 16 years in the fire service all within departments in Piscataway, NJ. Nick has held the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain as well as being a township elected District Fire Commissioner for 1 term (3 years) in Piscataway, NJ. He is also a NJ State certified level 2 fire instructor and currently a State of New Jersey Advocate for the National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Kean University working in Corporate Taxation and is the founder/contributor of the Firehouse Tribune website. 

Benefits of Massage Therapy for Firefighters

As we are already aware, firefighting is inherently dangerous. It is a profession that requires us to put our bodies on the line at any given moment. According to the NFPA, in 2015 alone, 68,085 firefighters injuries were reported in the United States. Out of the total reporter number of firefighter injuries, 29,130 (43%) were fire ground related and 7,560 (11%) were training related.

Sometimes we walk away unscathed, while other times we come back with a few bumps and bruises to say the least. But let's be honest, are we always working at 100% health? Maybe, maybe not.

Everything from the weight of our PPE, to the addition of our SCBA, to the tools and other accessories we may carry with us add weight which also weighs us down and causes our bodies extra physical stress as well as mental stress than our bodies are already under while performing our tasks.

Everything from physical fitness training, hands on fire ground training and any other type of training we may take part in adds loads of stress on us and let's not forget the daily routines of family and outside activities we are all apart of in our personal lives.

With that, one way we as emergency service personnel can reduce these stressors is through massage therapy. This can be done 1-2 times a month and based on your activity level, goals, lifestyle and general health, the frequency could change.

On a personal level and without getting into details, being in the fire service and an athlete of various levels I've had my share of injuries and a few surgeries and found massage therapy to be a beneficial way to reduce soreness and recover from minor injuries I've incurred along the way.

Here are a list of reasons (broken into 2 categories) why massage therapy is beneficial for us to add to our toolbox of physical and mental gains on and off the fire ground.

Overall Health & Wellness

• It aligns the spine and reduces pressure on nerves
• It relaxes your muscles and helps you to maintain good posture
• It relieves stress
• It improves your circulation
• It stimulates the body's secretion of endorphins
•Calming the central nervous system
•Elongating tight muscles
•Loosening toxins from the tissues for elimination

Injury & Surgery Recovery

•Reduce pain, minimizing the need for pain medication
•Inhibit swelling by moving lymph
•Break up scar tissue
•Hasten the healing process by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen

**Please note: Always consult with your physician before getting a massage while recovering from any injury or surgery. It may not be the best treatment option after an injury or surgery or may be limited to particular modalities.

Until next time; work hard, stay safe & live inspired.

About the Author  

NICHOLAS J. HIGGINS is a firefighter with 15 years in the fire service all within departments in Piscataway, NJ. Nick has held the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain as well as being a township elected District Fire Commissioner for 1 term (3 years) in Piscataway, NJ. He is also a NJ State certified level 2 fire instructor. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Kean University working in Corporate Taxation and is the founder/contributor of the Firehouse Tribune website. 

The Importance of Clean PPE

We all love that fresh smell of smoke on our gear. It lets others know we been in a fire and the charred up shield on our helmets tell our stories of the fires we been in. The soot filled turnout gear and sometimes all over our hands and face; the smokey smell in our hair for days, all of that comes with territory of fighting fire. It’s great isn’t it? It’s almost like a rite of passage into the service.  

But is it something that’s costing us years of our time in the service and almost shortening our days with our families?

While on the job, we as firefighters come in contact with tons of carcinogens, toxins and diseases found in structure fires, car fires, as well as blood and bodily fluids which can be carried away in our turnout gear causing potential harm through ingestion, inhalation and/or absorption. As members of the emergency services, we are continually trained on those three routes of entry when refreshing ourselves on our yearly blood borne pathogens training each year. Firefighters are not the only ones to be at risk for contracting potential hazards that are left on our uncleaned gear. Anyone who has direct contact with the gear is also at risk.  This goes for the general public as well since we all know children love getting tours of our firehouses, seeing our apparatus and trying to fit into our gear and wear our helmets. By not keeping our gear clean, exposures to others are possible since we are also in direct contact with the general public. 

Turnout gear that has been worn on fire-related calls, and has been in contact with carcinogens without cleaning in between calls will diminish the gears ability to protect the firefighter. The soot and other related products of burning leave a number of material deposits on the surface of gear and in the fibers of the protective layers of the gears causing the surface of the gear to be less heat reflective. In the presence of oils and other flammable materials, the heat absorption on the surface of our gear, should this gear not have been cleaned prior to making contact, could potentially lead to re-ignition or flash over. When considering the less obvious type of soot - carbon based soot – increases conductivity when in contact with live wires, raising potential for electrical shock. 

Long term effects of dirty gear is quite simple, it doesn’t last as long as the manufacturers recommendation. The soot and other particles that were continually absorbed into the gear will begin to break down the shell of our gear and some of those particles and burn bits that are lodged in our gear can become abrasive causing rips and tears in our gear. Regular human movements and the bending and folding of the gear will cause the rips and tears in the gear abs wear out the fibers. Recommended cleaning of the shell of the gear is ever six months at minimum or more depending on how much contact we have with soot and other carcinogens to reduce the amount of abrasive particles picked up in our gear. So remember to wash your gear; keep yourself, your crew, your family and the general public safe. Just like we take pride in keeping our apparatus, our station and our tools clean, we should our turnout gear because it’s another tool to keep us safe. So take pride in looking your best on every run because we are always in the public eye!

Until next time; work hard, stay safe and live inspired. 

About the Author

NICHOLAS J. HIGGINS is a firefighter with 14 years of service all within departments in Piscataway, NJ. Nick has held the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain as well as being a township elected District Fire Commissioner for 1 term (3 years) in Piscataway, NJ. He is also a NJ State certified level 2 fire instructor. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Kean University working in Corporate Taxation and is the founder/contributor of the Firehouse Tribune website.