Fitness, Wellness, and Stress Management.

Physical fitness is the condition of the body that lets you use it in activities without undue fatigue and exhaustion. For an officer, fitness equates to performance and readiness: muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, agility, power and speed.

Wellness is broader. It is a person’s health and disease status and risk potential, on a continuum that runs from death to optimal well-being. It is not just the absence of disease. It is a state of positive well-being that balances the physical, mental, spiritual and socio-emotional. A person can be physically fit but not well.

The components of fitness fall into two groups. Functional and health-related fitness is the more important group, because it is about being a fit, productive human being for a lifetime and not only about job tasks. Motor fitness covers agility, anaerobic power and explosive leg strength. Together they are the physical factors behind the essential tasks of the job.

The outline notes that officers have a higher incidence of stress-related disorders than the civilian population, such as alcoholism and suicide. It also notes that trainees are usually hired at average or above average fitness, while the incumbent field officer is generally below average compared to the general population.

You move toward the wellness end of the continuum by stopping harmful drugs and tobacco, limiting alcohol, exercising regularly, eating less animal fat, cholesterol and sodium, eating more complex carbohydrates and drinking more water, keeping a healthy body weight, limiting sun exposure, and getting immunizations and regular check-ups.

The first step in a safe exercise program is deciding whether you are ready for one. A relatively healthy person can usually take part in mild or moderate exercise, such as walking, without problems and without a medical examination.

Moderate or strenuous exercise can be risky for someone with certain health problems. If you have any concerns, see a medical professional before you start.

The PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire) is a self-administered checklist that helps you decide whether you need medical screening first. These are fundamental guidelines. They do not replace professional guidance.

Progressive overload. To improve, the demands on the body must be greater than those of daily activity. The body adapts, so the duration or intensity has to be increased gradually. Progressing too fast leads to injury or dropping out.

Regularity and recovery. Exercise should be consistent through the week, month and years. The weekend-warrior approach is high risk for injury. The outline states that fitness begins to decline after 96 hours. The body also needs recovery: 7 or 8 hours of rest a night, and 48 hours between heavy sessions that use the same muscle groups or that are high impact, such as running. Injury rates rise if a person runs more than five days a week or lifts with the same muscle groups two days in a row.

Specificity. The body adapts specifically to the demand placed on it. Running may build the endurance for a use of force incident without building the strength for it. Upper body large muscle training does not increase grip strength. Set your goals, then choose exercises that train to them.

Balance. Work opposing muscles, such as the biceps and the triceps, and balance the components of fitness: cardiovascular, strength and flexibility.