Health

[emt12resq]

I tried to get into the health forum thing but it wouldnt let me, said i had error on the page and wouldnt open it. Ok so another serious question. SInce I want to go into the medical field as a profession i already know its alot of activity that you need pretty much be prepared for. Im not or whatever but I dont know Im out of shape. My cardio is rediculous I run like 10-20 min and im already out of breath. Plus i know it involves a lot lifted which I alredy experienced in volunteer field. I've been running/jogging/walking which is helping but I want to do more. i want to build muscle, not a lot, but some so its not so hard to lift and to get my breathing to a pace where Im not so out of breath if I have to run up and down hills. If anyone could please give me some pointer/ exercises/ anything to get my body back in shape so i can keep up.

Plus I know what your all prob thinking. Im 18 I shouldnt be out of shape blah blah blah haha, thats what you get when they dont make you take PE in high school and you have pretty much no life.

More more question if anyone happens to know a cure for insomnia please let me know.

Thank You

[WestSideBorderPatrol]

I run like 10-20 min and im already out of breath.

Yea, same here. Being in shape is an important thing in EMS. But I really don't think you'll be running marathons in this job. lol. Yea, you may have to climb a hill or something, but nothing super crazy. I rarely run for physical exercise, what I do is lift weights and such to build up the upper body. Cause man, some of those bags get heavy after awhile. lol.

they dont make you take PE in high school

Where did/do you go to high school?? Was it a public or private school? I thought that phys. ed. was mandatory in public school???

[emt12resq]

Than you sooooo much for replying to this!!!! I've been waiting for someone to take the time to do it.

I know being in shape is VERY important. I've been doing little excerises like running, and sit-ups etc... I'm starting to build up the cardio I just want more results. I'm thinking about joining a gym to lift weights I just haven't gotten around to it. Its actually quite expensive now days.

As for not running marathons, we had a call earlier this summer for a search and rescue. I live in the mountains, full of trails, and a couple got lost. We searched over 13 hours. Many hiked, few rode four-wheelers. When they walked into our station the next morning we wanted to strangled them haha. But we reached out with breakfast and plenty of water though since it was kind of cold and they had hiked for aver 20 hours. Just thought Id share that with you.

My high school offered PE but only for two years. Juniors and seniors didn't have to take it. So after my sophomore year I just pretty much became lazy only doing required work. Its pretty much only my cardio I need to work on. That and to build my arm strength for the LOTS of lifting Ill be doing.

Again thank you for replying to this. Its greatly appreciated.

[akflightmedic]

Well, if I may.....

Both of you have the same huge misconception, but we will get to that in a minute.

Congratulations on recognizing the need for fitness early on in your career.

Three main areas of importance for us as EMS folk are:

1. DIET

2. Cardio

3. Strength

In that order, even though 1 and 2 go hand in hand.

We are constantly on the go, we eat horribly. We eat fast food, we dont prepare food in the stations and typically we east fast!

Plan and prepare your meals in advance. If this means bringing a small cooler to work with you and finding a place up front between the seats, at your feet or in a side compartment, by all means do it!

It is so depressing how many overweight and out of shape "health professionals" I see in this business. We take care of ourselves last which is the wrong thing to do. If we are not in our best possible conditioning, what good are we to others? What good are we to ourselves?

Think of the long hours we work, the interrupted sleep patterns, and then mix in a dose of bad food and little physical exercise. Not exactly the formula for sucess is it?

Now that we addressed the diest, lets talk cardio. This is so very, very important! Please do not say you run around all day on the ambulance so that should count, cause it doesnt. That is not enough! You need a sustained heart rate for a minimum of 30 minutes, preferably 45. Do this a bare minimum of 3 times a week, optimum would be 5.

Can you not give yourself 30 mins a week 3 times...a total of 90 minutes dedicated solely to you? If this is not possible, you have some serious priority rearranging to do.

No one wants their rescuer being out of breath cause they climbed 2 flights of stairs with a bag on each shoulder. Nor should you be sucking wind if you end up doing compressions for an extended amount of time. Build your endurance! It is so important in this field to have that exercise. Not only will it help maintain a healthy weight, it will also motivate you to maintain your proper dietary needs. And if those reasones were not enough, there is more! Exercise has been shown to be just as effective as pills when it comes to treating depression. Your overall mental health will stay in check, it will be an outlet for you to vent. There are so many reasons to do it, unfortunately, so few do.

We rather sit around and complain about all the bad things that made us the way we are instead of getting up and doing something about it. Sticking with the program is difficult at first but stay focused and eventually it will become second nature.

You have to get in a consistent routine. Once you have an established routine, it will take 6-8 weeks for this routine to become habit. Once it becomes a habit, we all know how hard those are to break. Lucky for us, this is a good habit, so no need to get rid of it.

Finally, lets talk strength training. Both of you mentioned arms for carrying, which sounds great but is horrible. You need total body conditioning. You need a strong back and strong legs. WHen lifting, you are using your legs; when carrying, you are using back, legs and abs. You must focus on having a strong inner core. You do not need to be built like Arnold to be ok in this job. There are plenty of firefighters around or you should have the ability to call for an extra crew if in doubt. That does not make you a lesser being.

I have worked with many females that were short and light weights. They had no issues with lifting or carrying as they had learned how to do proper lifts and had focused on their weak areas. I have also worked with some weak ass pansy males too, so do not think this is a problem solely with women.

The strength portion is essential but not as important as the other two. Do not worry about the silly rumor that you will get huge if youlift too much. It is very difficult for women to maintain muscle mass. It takes a lot of actual effort to acquire and maintain those muscles. Your strength will increase but do not worry about looking unlady like...lol.

The last thing I am going to add which was not mentioned is stretching. It is very important to be limber, flexible, loose...whatever you want to call it. The ability of your body to stretch is more important than your ability to lift something heavy. In this business, I am willing to bet you will have more chance encounters of your body being twisted a certain way more that your inability to lift something.

It is those knee, back and shoulder injuries that are brutual. By maintaining a state of fitness along with stretching exercises, you can avoid so manyof the injuries that plaque people in our field.

[spenac]

I agree with AK on this point. Focus on good nutrition and cardio. With that and proper lifting technique you can take care of business.

[Dustdevil]

Do not worry about the silly rumor that you will get huge if youlift too much. It is very difficult for women to maintain muscle mass. It takes a lot of actual effort to acquire and maintain those muscles. Your strength will increase but do not worry about looking unlady like...lol.

LOL! You'd be surprised how many men say that too. I guess the bodybuilders make it look so easy, that a lot of people think that kind of physique is just something that automatically happens if you work out a few times a week.

I used to have a friend who ran a gym. He said new customers coming in to sign up -- people who obviously had no clue about fitness -- would often say, "But I don't want to get all muscle-bound or anything." My friend would always reply, "Oh, don't worry about that. We'll stop you right before you get there!"

Of course, most people who join a gym never even see the place again after the second week. That's why gyms can have thousands of members, yet never be too busy.

AKs advice is gold. Especially the part about making it a habit. This cannot be something you "make time for." It has to become part of your daily routine, just like taking a shower and eating dinner. Something that, if you miss it, you feel bad. But it is very important that you have an intelligent plan. Having a plan does two things: first, it makes it something you are thinking about constantly, instead of just after you get to the gym. And second, it allows you to maximise your efforts. Nowhere is the old adage, "work smart, not hard" truer than in the gym. Personal trainers are not in the budget of most EMS people. If it is, that is an excellent way to go. A personal trainer gets you started on the right foot of working smart, and knowing how to develop a programme. It also forces you to set a routine, because if you don't, you lose money. You don't have to keep a trainer forever. But for a month or more of getting started, they are well worth the money. Another way to go is to simply do as I mentioned in your first topic, which is to take an Intro to Exercise Science class at college. It's exercise physiology 101, an essential foundation of knowledge that helps you to recognise proper technique and priorities for establishing your programme on your own. And, instead of really "paying" for the knowledge of a trainer, you're getting it for college credit.

I know people tend to blow PE off as just something for jocks and muscleheads, but nothing could be farther from the truth. There is very definitely a science to it. And in order to gain any benefit from physical training, you must use that science. If you just show up at a gym with no knowledge and no plan, just stumbling around aimlessly, mimicing what all the other clueless people in the gym are doing, you will waste your money.

Good luck!

[reaper]

Follow all this sound advice. Especially about stretching. that will save your back the most.

BTW, I can run 10-20 feet and I'm out of breath!!

[spenac]

Follow all this sound advice. Especially about stretching. that will save your back the most.

BTW, I can run 10-20 feet and I'm out of breath!!

I hope I can get back into that good of shape. I tried to get out of bed this morning, got so winded and tired I had to sleep another couple of hours. :wink:

[CodeBlueEMT]

How could I live with myself if I developed six pack abs?

Shayne

[spenac]

How could I live with myself if I developed six pack abs?

Shayne

If your going to do it do it right and go for the KEG abs.