Understanding Inflammation: Inflammation is a common topic, but many don't fully understand it. Good inflammation is your body's short-term response to injury or infection, helping you heal. However, bad inflammation occurs when this response becomes chronic, leading to health issues like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. What Causes Inflammation in First Responders? As a first responder, you are exposed to unique factors that can contribute to chronic inflammation: - Physical Stress: The demands of your job often lead to physical injuries and wear and tear on your body. - Emotional Stress: High-stress situations and traumatic events increase cortisol levels, which can promote inflammation. - Irregular Sleep Patterns: Shifts and long hours disrupt your natural sleep cycle, contributing to inflammation. - Exposure to Toxins: Smoke, chemicals, and other environmental hazards can trigger inflammatory responses in your body. - Poor Nutrition: Limited time for proper meals can lead to unhealthy eating habits that exacerbate inflammation. To reduce chronic (or "bad") inflammation, follow these steps: Step 1 - Eat a Mediterranean Diet: Think of this as the VIP section of diets. It's like a natural anti-inflammatory cocktail, packed with fruits, veggies, nuts, and olive oil. This diet helps lower markers of inflammation, like CRP and IL-6, reducing your body's inflammatory response and lowering the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer. Step 2 - Focus on Sleep Quality: While on shift, you can't always control your sleep duration, but improving sleep quality is key. Good sleep boosts your immune system, helping your body fight inflammation more effectively. Even if sleep is short, make it count. Click here for tips on enhancing sleep quality. Step 3 - Prioritize Oral Care: Your mouth is the first line of defense. Regular flossing and brushing can prevent gum inflammation from spreading and causing issues in the rest of your body. Good oral hygiene helps reduce overall inflammation, contributing to a lower risk of heart disease and other systemic conditions.

Dear First Responder, Today, I want to introduce you to a groundbreaking framework I call "The First Responders Hierarchy of Health." This hierarchy represents a evolution in thinking about health and wellness, tailored specifically to the unique challenges we face by examining health from first principles. I had to learn this the hard way after experiencing hormone disruption, insomnia, and low libidio so severe I was forced to retire from the fire department. What you will read below is a direct result of how I was able to heal myself and be healthier at 45 than 35. The First Responders Hierarchy of Health By looking at health from first principles, we focus on the foundational elements that contribute to overall well-being. Each level of this hierarchy has downstream effects on the next, creating a cohesive and holistic approach to health. 1. Mindset - Positive Framing: Learn to frame your thoughts positively to lower stress. Recognize that our jobs are inherently hazardous, which requires us to be more diligent about our health than the general population. - Lifelong Learning: Commit to being a lifelong student of personal health. As we age, our health needs change, and staying informed is crucial for long-term well-being. - Downstream Effects: A positive mindset reduces stress, which directly impacts sleep quality and overall health. 2. Stress Management - Proper Exercise Intensities: Exercising at the correct intensities is key. Overtraining can be as harmful as undertraining. - Parasympathetic Exercises: Incorporate breathwork, yoga, and meditation into your routine. These practices activate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to manage stress effectively. - Direct Impact on Sleep: Effective stress management directly influences the next level of our hierarchy, which is sleep. - Downstream Effects: Managing stress effectively improves sleep quality, which in turn affects nutrition and fitness levels. 3. Sleep - Dealing with Sleep Deprivation: Understand how to cope with sleep deprivation and mitigate its effects. - Sleep Hygiene: Follow good sleep hygiene practices to improve sleep quality. - Importance of Sleep: Recognize how both good and bad sleep affect the next level in the hierarchy, which is nutrition. - Downstream Effects: Quality sleep enhances nutritional choices and the body’s ability to recover from physical activity.

1. Don't set your mind to a certain amount of reps. See how many you can do and adjust accordingly. Why do 10 when you got 17 in the tank. 2. Creatine is the most researched supplement with literally zero side effects. Take 5 grams daily to help build muscle & improve brain health. Make sure to take one without any fillers or additives. Here's the one I take. ​ 3. Eat at least .8 to 1g of protein per pound of ideal bodyweight. This amount is scientifically proven to help you build & maintain muscle. This is especially helpful when dieting because you need to keep muscle. ​ 4. When lifting a weight spend more time (3-4 seconds) on the eccentric (aka. lowering) portion of the lift. The lowering portion of a lift is more important than the lifting portion because it's that part that helps you build the most muscle. ​ 5. Do plyometrics before a lower-body workout and med ball throws before an upper-body workout. This trains your nervous system to use power when lifting weights or performing explosive exercises. ​ 6. Do your weakest muscles at the beginning of the workout. Example: If your hamstrings are weak start with them at the top of the workout. If your left is weaker than your right start with that side first when doing single joint movements (ie. lunges). Do the weakest part first because that's when you have the most energy. ​ 7. Stop changing your workouts each time you hit the gym. You build muscle and make gains by getting better at doing the same exercises at similar rep ranges using progressive overload. ​ 8. Use the mind-to-muscle connection when lifting. This means using your mind to contract the muscles you're using to lift, which will lead to more activation. ​ 9. Recovery is just as important as your workout because that's where your body repairs and builds muscle. Nutrition, stress relief, and sleep are a firefighter's best friends. 10. Keep your eyes fixed. When lifting keep your head & eyes fixed on a point where you'll be able to focus and contract the muscle the most. ​ 11. Allow yourself to take an exercise to failure on your final set. The rest of the time leave 1-2 reps in the tank to maintain form and save the joints. ​ 12. Get the same gains in a workout in a fraction of the time by using supersets. This puts 2 non-competing exercises together without rest. ​ Example: 10 reps of squats followed by 10 reps of a bench press followed by a 2 minute rest. ​ Studies show you can make the same amount of gains in 36% less time. 13. The best way to warm up before a workout is doing short dynamic stretches. They increase your range of motion and prep your body for the exercises ahead while only taking 6 minutes to complete. ​ 14. The best way to cool down from a workout is 5 minutes of box breathing. Lay on your back and follow these steps:​ ​ ​Step 1: Breathe in, counting to four slowly. Feel the air enter your lungs. Step 2: Hold your breath for 4 seconds. Try to avoid inhaling or exhaling for 4 seconds. Step 3: Slowly exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds. Step 4: Repeat steps 1 to 3 until you feel re-centered.​ ​ This helps put your body in a parasympathetic state, which helps speed up recovery. ​​ 15. A great workout is one that incorporates both machines and free weights. Machines allow you to do an exercise in a safe way while focusing on the muscles you're targeting. Use them. ​ 16. Getting a spotter adds around 10% more strength to your workouts. Want to get the most out of an exercise? Get someone to spot you. This helps you feel more safe and the added motivation gives a boost to your workout. 17. The best preworkout meal: Eat a meal of fast-burning carbs like fruits (ie. kiwis) before a workout to get some energy before a workout. ​ 18. Train like an athlete for best results. Doing cardio helps you lift better through improving lung capacity and blood flow. Lifting helps you become better at cardio by strengthening your muscles and making them resilient to injury. Do both to become the best athlete you can be. Bonus points: They also help you increase both lifespan and healthspan and can delay the aging process.​ 19. When you’re beginning (or trying to get back into it) choose a type of exercise that’s enjoyable first. Your goal is to develop a liking for exercise and to stick to it. You can always optimize later. ​ 20. Leave your ego at the door. Unless you're a world-class bodybuilder or powerlifter, no one is watching you at the gym or caring about how much weight you're using. Run your own race and never workout to impress others. ​ 21. Once a set is done go for a quick walk. This will improve your recovery between sets while helping you get some extra steps in. ​ 22. Find a group of friends where being fit is the standard. This will influence you by changing your environment. You eventually become who you hang around. 23. To get results faster hire a coach. A coach helps you get from where you are to your goal in the fastest time because they combine expert advice with massive accountability.

When I was a firefighter I used to train at high intensities even after coming off of shifts where I ran multiple calls after midnight. In my 20s I didn't notice the damage I was doing but after 7 years of burning the candle on both ends, I was forced to retire for health reasons. After several years of research and application, I recovered my health if I did things a certain way, and in this article, I'm going to explain what I have learned since then. A Unique Problemhttps Firefighting is not just a physically demanding profession; it is also a highly stressful one. Firefighters face unpredictable and intense situations that can take a toll on their mental and physical health. While they can't control the stressors encountered on shift, there are ways to manage and mitigate stress during off-shift periods. By focusing on functional training, recovery, and overall wellness, firefighters can improve their resilience and performance both on and off the job. The Unique Stress of Firefighting Firefighters are regularly exposed to high-stress environments, whether it's responding to emergencies, dealing with traumatic incidents, or navigating hazardous conditions. This constant state of readiness can lead to chronic stress, which impacts physical health, mental well-being, and overall performance. Traditional fitness programs often overlook the importance of stress management, which is crucial for firefighters. Controlling the Controllables While firefighters can't control the chaos and demands of their shifts, they can take charge of their health and fitness during their off-shift time. By adopting a comprehensive approach to wellness that includes functional training, proper nutrition, and effective recovery strategies, firefighters can better manage stress and enhance their overall well-being. Introducing a New Approach To Fitness Our 4-week functional training workout plan is specifically designed to help firefighters mitigate stress and improve their physical and mental health. This program includes a mix of upper body and lower body workouts, low-intensity steady-state (LISS) cardio, and a dedicated changeover relief (CR) week to increase volume and intensity.

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