Police Fitness
Policing is a very high demand profession that attracts fit men and women. The initial training entails lots of physical fitness work to get the young officers into shape. Yet, what happens after they graduate. How does police fitness progress as the years roll on?
Initial Training
At the Academy
Initial police fitness training at the academy, as mentioned above is strenuous. There are runs and push ups and obstacle courses to conquer. And, not to be undone, you need to do ground fighting!
At the academy there are also the practical skills like arresting someone, handcuffing techniqes, driving skills, and crowd control. The cadet graduates in great shape, ready to “hit the streets!”
First Years
As the new officer starts learning the job … and there is so much to learn … they can find themselves overwhelmed. They have to learn how to deal with senior officers and the office politics. New officers also come to realize that not all their “clients” like them
Later Years
As the years progress, does police fitness progress as well? Is the new officer who was in great shape still putting in the hours? Or has the demand of the job; the hours, the overtime, the court duties, the tiredness … How do these affect police fitness?
So often the weight starts to add up. The pant size gets bigger.
Police Fitness 101
Demands of the job
How does a police officer maintain their fitness levels? The first thing is to understand the nature of the job and that there is more than a single factor that aggravates the loss of the police fitness. Long hours, broken shifts, night shift and the stress and demands of the job work against the officer as they try to maintain a decent fitness level.
Nutrition
I know one of the stereotypes of policing is the cop and the donut. And yes … I have had my fair share of donuts throughout my career and I may even indulge in the odd one still!
Nutrition plays an important roll in the police fitness world. Due to the demands of the job, it is not uncommon for officers to be eating “junk” food. This includes the donuts but also the fast food whether chicken or hamburgers. The starchy carbs in these meals increases the insulin in the body. Insulins job is to get the glucose (glycogen)into the cells of the muscles and into the liver. Once you fill these are full, the rest of the calories are stored as fat. Next thing an officers knows is that they are starting to get a “spare tire”!
Stress
There is a tremendous amount of stress in an officers life. The broken sleep schedule, the wrong food, the “higher ups” and the street all contribute. Stress causes the body to release cortisol. Cortisol in turn releases insulin as the body prepares itself for survival. Fatty acids are then released by the liver. Those fatty acids circulate in the blood and when the body realizes they are not needed, they get stored as fat.
Three Things Needed to maintain police fitness
three things needed for you to maintain police fitness, which in the broader sense, involves the spirit, soul and body.
Exercise, a proper nutritional plan and a technique for reducing the stress or calming the soul are the three things. I will just be dealing with police fitness as it relates to the body in this blog. Nutrition and stress management are probably more important than physical fitness in some regards though.
Police Fitness – Program Design
To maintain police fitness it is important to realize its importance and then to have a program designed to manage the fitness level of the officer.
Components of Police Fitness
Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Muscular Strength
Muscular Endurance
Power
Flexibility
Rest/Recovery
Parameters of Police Fitness
There are four parameters of fitness which are Frequency, Intensity, Time (volume) and Type. (F.I.T.T)
A police officer needs to combine the parameters with the components so the program is designed in such a way so that their roles are performed efficiently. The program design for an officer needs to be specific for their roles. Therefore, it is imperative that officer understands the different factors required of the job.
Take into consideration the following items:
The muscles involved
The range of motion
The speed of movement – the force or power needed
The energy systems involved
The neuromuscular system – nerves, muscles used
Standard Police Fitness Testing
Minimum Recruit Fitness Standards
Most police departments and services have specific police fitness standards for those who are wanting to be police officers. Initially it may be something like the number of pushups and sit ups in a minute, and an aerobic aspect like a 1.5 mile timed run. Meeting the minimum standards results in being hired and they will go to the police academy. There, a different and more exacting standard will need to be met.
Duty Based Police Fitness Testing
More and more police agencies are requiring cadets and sworn officers to complete a police fitness test that simulates the requirements of the job. This will include simulating chasing a suspect and then struggling with them after the foot chase. The foot chase will normally have a number directional changes, climbing stairs and jumping over or under obstacles.
There is usually a lifting and carrying a weight and/or dragging a dummy to simulate dealing with a disaster situation.
It is not uncommon that the officer will need to complete cognitive tests while running the course. This tests them in a fatigued state when the brain is screaming for energy.
Whereas previously the officer would complete these tasks in gym gear, it is more likely they will need to do them wearing their work uniform, including the duty belt.
The Police Fitness Tests have been designed to test all of the components of fitness.
Pare, popat, opfa and pfa
The different police agencies in Canada have pretty well standardized their testing protocols. The Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation (PARE – RCMP) is almost exactly the same as the Police Officers Physical Ability Test (POPAT) , which is used for many provincial and city police services.
Ontario uses the Ontario Police Fitness Award (OPFA), which is slightly as it includes either doing the 1.5 mile timed run or the 20 m shuttle run.
The RCMP have just recently changed their fitness testing and use the Police Fitness Assessment (PFA) which is suppose to be more realistic in simulating the demands of police work.
What happens after recruit training
Most agencies will require either a yearly or every second year testing for physical abilities. There are usually minimum standards to be met. An officer can get out of the the testing if they have a medical issue, or injury or if their doctor states they shouldn’t complete the testing. Even if the officer does show up for the test, if their blood pressure is high they won’t be allowed to participate.
Does a Police Officer Really Need to be Fit?
When you look at the duties of the police officer, you will find that much of the time it is sedentary. Patrolling in a police vehicle or in the office writing reports. The officers on the street do have a higher likelihood of hands on physical confrontations but even then, it is usually a short period of time. Foot chases happen but they are rare.
So does the officer really need to be in super great shape?
personal experience
In my 36 years in policing, of which 18 years were with the Emergency Response Team, I was involved in a number of situations that tested my physical fitness. When arresting an uncooperative “client”, the faster you can get them under control the safer it will be for both of you. The physical hands on aspect of policing is a test of strength, flexibility and anaerobic capacity. Even a struggle that only lasts a minute will tax the body and you will be breathing heavy at the end.
I have been in numerous foot chases. I didn’t “always get my man” as the capture depends on the terrain and the distance that needs to be made up.
One fellow took off really quick. I didn’t try to outpace him. There aren’t too many criminals who had good aerobic capacities so I just paced him. I knew he would tire out and when he did, I approached him and effected the arrest with no resistance on his part. I knew my aerobic capacity was good as I routinely ran 3-5 miles.
There are times when a police officer can get pushed to their limits. Running with the police service dog and handler can be very taxing. Hiking into a plane crash or getting a fellow officer or a civilian who is hurt or unconscious out of danger, or dealing with a riot type situation can all be physically demanding.
Who is affeced if the police officer is out of shape
We tend to think that it is only the police officer who is at risk of injury or death if they are out of shape. One of the fellows I went through training with when I joined the Halifax Police Force hated exercise. He barely made the physical standards to graduate and he didn’t do any subsequent training after graduation. He got into a struggle with a suspect and was kicked in the groin. The lack of physical training and his extra pounds had put a strain on his heart. The physical exertion and the shock of the groin kick was to much for his heart and he drop dead from a heart attack.
How about the others
A police officer is only kidding themselves if they think they are the only one who suffers from not being physically fit.
What happens to the other officers at a scene that have no backup when their fellow officer can’t keep up? How about the citizen that needs to be rescued?
There is usually a family associated with the officer. What type of lifestyle do they have when mom or dad can’t play or go on trips due to being out of shape and overweight?
As you can see, there are many reason that police fitness should be a priority for the officer, for the department and for the general public.