Fighting Fit
High levels of physical fitness are necessary to manage and recover from the physical and psychological stress that wildland firefighting places on the body. Physical fitness is not only required to pass the pack test — or field/walk tests — it is a necessary prerequisite for reducing physical injury, illness and stress throughout the fire season.
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The numerous occupational and health benefits of being physically fit are well-established. Improvements in physical fitness may help improve work capacity and the ability to respond efficiently and productively to an emergency situation. This improvement in work capacity includes a reduced risk of injury, such as muscle strains, sprains or tears; fewer illnesses due to improved immune system function; decreased absenteeism; lower health care costs; reduced heat stress risk; and improved temperature regulation.
The health benefits of achieving and maintaining overall physical fitness, which will inevitably promote greater work capacity, are related to improved psychological well-being, physiological health profile and quality of life. Specific health benefits include improvements in cholesterol, body fat and blood-pressure profiles; reduced risk of disease, including diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, stroke and other cardiovascular complications; stronger muscle (tendon and ligament) function; and greater bone mineral health for reduced risk of osteoporosis. Regular physical activity and improved physical fitness brought about by a healthy lifestyle can also improve stress-coping mechanisms, self-confidence and overall energy levels.
In order to improve physical fitness (or maintain current levels) and attain the aforementioned benefits, it is important to know where to start. This is where regular physical fitness testing is imperative.
Physical fitness assessments serve many purposes. They can provide valuable information on current physical fitness status and, by association, health status; serve as a baseline for comparison with follow-up assessments; present a starting point for training program prescription; and help establish realistic and appropriate personalized fitness goals.
Wildland firefighting demands fitness in many areas, so fitness testing should cover as many of these areas as possible to develop a comprehensive, well-rounded training program. A thorough physical fitness assessment battery should evaluate, at minimum, aerobic fitness, muscular strength, endurance and power, flexibility (shoulder and hamstring range of motion, at least), and core health (strength and stability). In addition, agility, coordination and functional movement pattern evaluations could be included, time permitting.
Aerobic and muscular-skeletal fitness are imperative, given the potential length of shifts along with changed or compromised sleep patterns. Such fitness also helps address the demanding environmental conditions typical of wildland firefighting, such as altitude, heat and cold, as well as the cardiovascular and respiratory demands of numerous firefighting tasks over the course of an emergency response.
The most recent National Wildfire Coordinating Group job analysis suggests that the ability to hike reasonable distances at a demanding pace is one of the most important wildland firefighting tasks. The capacity to move efficiently to a safety zone or assist in the evacuation of others also receives honorable mention in this analysis. The ability to complete these tasks proficiently, while negotiating uneven ground and with minimal adverse impact, is enhanced in firefighters with higher aerobic fitness.
Twisting or bending while conducting various firefighting tasks — such as removing debris, or lifting, pushing or pulling large weights — necessitates high levels of muscular strength and endurance. The repetitive nature of many firefighting tasks, the level of exertion needed, the awkward positioning in which many tasks are conducted and exposure to vibrating apparatus such as chain-saws also increase the risk of joint and tissue overuse and subsequent degeneration. Consequently, low levels of muscular strength or endurance may increase susceptibility to cumulative trauma disorders or musculoskeletal disorders such as tendonitis or nerve compression, especially in the shoulder and back.
Low levels of muscular strength, excess body fat and poor overall flexibility also may contribute to a higher risk of strains, sprains and back pain or disorders, including abnormal curvature, herniated or degenerated discs, postural low back pain, lumbosacral strains or sprains, and sacroilitis. Lower back pain is one of the most prevalent injuries sustained in physically demanding occupations. Poor back health can result from inadequate levels of core strength — trunk strength, lower back and oblique muscles — and overall fitness, and this risk is magnified by the physical stress of occupational tasks, protective clothing and heavy equipment commonly used during wildland firefighting.
Poor flexibility and core stability restrict range of motion in areas such as the shoulders, torso and hips, which may promote poor posture and postural imbalance as well as adversely affect coordination. Increases in abdominal and overall body fat or muscular tension, due to stiffness, further impairs range of motion and the successful completion of numerous fire suppression tasks. Furthermore, unfavorable body composition inhibits heat dissipation, raises the probability of orthopedic issues and increases cardiovascular risk, all of which are magnified by occupation-induced cardiac strain/stress.
For those doing primarily light-intensity occupational duties such as climbing stairs and light lifting, or office-based work over long hours, fitness is important not just for the health-related reasons stated above, but to enhance work capacity and energy levels, and even cognitive function.
A medical health screening should be conducted before physical fitness testing or beginning a new physical training program (especially after periods of inactivity), and it is suggested prior to training for or attempting the pack/field/walk tests for occupational fitness screening. For more suggestions on physical fitness assessments and programming, visit the FireFit Program Web site at www.nifc.gov/FireFit/index.htm.
Katie Sell, Ph.D., is a certified strength and conditioning specialist with the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.
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