Firefighters must stay fit and strong. Failure to do so can keep them from being able to perform the duties of their profession and can even keep them from leading long and enjoyable lives.
In the firefighting community it is well known that heart attacks are the number one killer of firefighters. However, it is not as widely known just how dire of a threat heart disease is to these noble men and women. To put the danger in perspective, all you need to know is that 15 percent of all deaths that take occur on non-firefighting jobs is caused by cardiovascular events, while these same events cause 45 percent of all on-duty firefighting deaths.
This difference makes plenty of sense when one considers the work that firefighters perform day after day. “Battling fires and rescuing civilians involve sudden, extreme exertion and exposure to toxic environments,” said Harvard Researcher Stefanos N. Kales, MD, MPH. “These job risks make heart disease all the more deadly for firefighters.” Kales went on to say that a firefighter has a 300 percent greater chance of being struck by a heart attack while on the job than does anyone else at his or her job.
Fighting Back
Despite these frightening numbers, a heart attack is not a certainty. Firefighters can fight back against the coronary threat. They can take control of their destiny.The first thing a firefighter must do is make sure that he or she and his or her firehouse is aware of the threat. Then, the house as a whole has to set up a regular physical training program that has a strong cardio element. A good rule of thumb is to work the body, heart, and lungs at least two and a half hours a week. Also, once again as a team, it is helpful to agree to stick to a heart healthy diet that is based around plenty of vegetables, fruits, lean meats.
By exercising on a regular basis, eating healthy and keeping their bodyweight within a healthy range, even hard-charging firefighters can drastically reduce the threat of heart attacks.
