Fitness Wellness and Stress Management
How to help someone contemplating suicide
A: ask I: intervene immediately D: don't keep it a secret L: locate help I: inform supervisor F: find someone to stay with the person E: expedite. Get help immediately
Symptoms associated with high engagement of SNS resulting in elevated heart rate
Visual changes time seems to slow sounds may seem muffled memory lapses (most memory will begin to return after 24-48 hours. reports written during this time may be considered preliminary)
T/F: The Sympathetic Nervous System cannot stay in high alert and the Parasympathetic NS cannot remain off for an extended time.
True
T/F: You need stress.
True
T/F: alcohol and drug abuse, among officers, is as frequent or more frequent than in the general population.
True
T/F: the earlier an alcohol or drug abusing employee is helped the more likely he/she will be able to recover.
True
Types of relaxation techniques (6) --
Visualization Guided imagery Unguided imagery Thought stopping/blocking/focusing Tactical breathing Progressive muscular relaxation
What are the components of an exercise routine?
Warm up (5-10 minutes) Workout (20-30 minutes) Cool down (5-10 minutes)
What is the most important mineral?
Water
What is the central nervous system?
the brain and spinal cord; the command center
T/F: Daily stresses can be acute or chronic; it waxes or wanes with the hassle factor of everyday life
True
What are carbs used for? What are the recommended carb needs?
*energy source; the body's preferred source of energy *burning fat efficiently *the main energy source for the brain *fiber helps to keep the digestive system working efficiently 55%-60%
T/F: Stress is not the event itself, but your reaction to an event.
True
Water needs
--8-10 glasses of water per day (1 gallon) if not exercising in the heat --Exercising in the heat, drink before, during and after exercise (or work). Drink 2 ½ cups of water 2 hours prior to exercise, 2 ½ cups 30 minutes to an hour prior to exercise and 4 ounces ever 20 minutes during exercise.
What is the definition of stress?
Natural reaction of the mind and body to a demand placed on it
What are the stress related disorders that are higher in law enforcement than the general population?
Alcoholism, suicide, and divorce
What does physical exercise do for stress?
Allows it to "play out" the fight or flight response which allows the body and mind to return to equilibrium faster
What is the basic idea of the inverted u principal?
As heart rate increases, the ability to perform physically and process information improves to a point then begins to drop
How to help someone cope with CIS
Assist with basic needs Physical presence Don't offer answers Continued reassurance Assist in keeping routine Ensure someone is close Assist with resources Designate someone to handle media Follow Department guidelines
When do suicide rates drastically increase?
At retirement age
What are the three basic approaches to stress management?
Avoid Alter Adapt/Accept
What does too much cholesterol do?
Can deposit on arteries and cause heart attack or stroke
How do carbs, protein, and fat sources impact energy levels?
Carbohydrate - provides a quick energy source but is used up quickly Protein - is slower in providing energy but last a few hours longer Fat - is the slowest in providing energy but there is an ample supply and can provide that energy for a long time.
What is CIS?
Critical Incident Stress CIS is incident specific. This is heavy-duty stress that causes psychological and physical discomfort for 2 days to 1 month. CIS is considered "normal" response to an abnormal extreme incident. Events such as working a gruesome accident, involvement in a use of force incident or shooting, or body recovery of a child.
Wellness ranges on a continuum from?
Death to optimal well-being It is not just the absence of disease but the state of positive well-being
In what order do motor skills begin decreasing as heart rate increases?
First (115) - fine motor skills (radio operations and locking handcuffs) Then (145) - Complex motor skills (complex ground fighting techniques) Last (175) - Gross motor skills (auditory changes, loss of peripheral vision, etc) At 200 BPM officers may become irrational
What is the key to performance in law enforcement?
Fitness
What are the healthy nutritional strategies?
Follow a healthy eating pattern Focus on variety, nutrient density, and amount Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fats and reduce sodium intake Support healthy eating patterns for all
What is FITT?
Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type
Components of fitness can be divided into what two categories? Which is the most important?
Functional and Health (most important) Motor
What are the leading causes of death in Americans?
Heart Disease and Cancer
Hypervigilance drives officers to seek extreme measures to do what?
Help them relax
What has the greatest impact on fitness/wellness?
How we act, react, function, and perform during our everyday life.
Affects of SNS (activation of "stress cocktail" of hormones)
Increases in: heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, sweating, oxygen consumption, muscle tension, and alertness Huge blood flow changes (clotting factors change to allow blood to clot for potential wound) Senses & perception changes (tunnel vision) PNS is turned off or reduced
What graph describes the effects of stress on performance?
Inverted U principal graph
What are the principles of an exercise program?
Progressive Overload Regularity and Recovery Specificity Balance
What is the foundation of the wellness pyramid?
Proper nutrition and regular exercise
What is protein? What are the recommended protein needs?
Protein is made up of amino acids often called the "building blocks" of the body because it is used for building, maintaining and repairing tissue. Protein is needed for building components in the blood that carry oxygen and fight infection 12%-15%
Applying FITT to cardiovascular training --
Purpose: Improve efficiency of heart, lungs and blood vessels. It helps to control weight, increase energy, increase endurance, increase performance capacity and lower cholesterol. F - Minimum 3 days a week. I - 60-80% Predicted Maximum Heart Rate T - Progress gradually from starting point to minimum of 20 minutes at THR. T - Aerobic (with oxygen) exercises that use is rhythmic, uses large muscle groups over an extended period of time
Applying FITT to Anaerobic (without oxygen) training --
Purpose: Increase ability to make short, intense bursts of maximum effort using energy stored in muscle in the absence of oxygen F - 1-2 days a week I - All out effort. 90% of Maximum Heart Rate T - Repeat short bursts of intense exercise (20-60 seconds) followed by period of rest T - Sprints—cycling, running, leaping, skipping, stair climbing
Applying FITT to Strength Training --
Purpose: Increase lean muscle mass and strength; enhance physical performance, decrease injuries, improved self-concept and professional presence. F - 2-4 days a week. 48 hours between sessions I - Begin at 13 RPE and progress to 15-16 RPE o Muscle endurance—low resistance high reps o Muscle strength—higher resistance and lower reps T - Time to complete 1-3 sets T - Weight training or calisthenics.
Applying FITT to Flexibility training --
Purpose: Prevent injuries, improve posture, improves physical performance, reduce soreness, increase flexibility. F - 3-7 days a week I - Hold to an easy point of tension—do not bounce T - 10-20 seconds per stretch. 3-5 minutes at cool down. T - after cardiovascular exercise. Stretches should be short when warming up and sustained when done after exercise. Stretches should be slow, sustained without bouncing.
Common signs of suicidal thoughts and behaviors
S: Male sex A: Age (<19 or >45 years) D: Depression P: Previous attempt E: Excess alcohol or substance use R: Rational thinking loss S: Social supports lacking O: Organized plan N: No spouse S: Sickness
What happens when threat (to NS) is resolved?
SNS and PNS increase and digestion resumes the immune system picks up and the body starts repairing again
What happens when CNS perceives a threat?
SNS is activates and PNS is reduced
What are the safety measures for fitness training?
Seek medical advise Consider a fitness trainers advise Consider the heat on performance Consider additional water needs Listen to your body Don't minimize the need for screaning
What is the cap of the wellness pyramid?
Self-responsibility
What is the definition of physical fitness?
The condition of the body that enables an individual to use his/her body in activities requiring: ... without undue experience of fatigue and exhaustion.
The solution to alcohol/drug abuse in law enforcement begins with what?
The individual officer
What are Fats? What are the fat needs?
The most concentrated and essentially endless source of calories which are necessary for nerve functioning, storing fat soluble vitamins, insulation and protection for body organs. No more than 30% of total calories, 7-10% for those with heart or cholesterol problems.
What is progressive muscular relaxation?
This technique teaches to recognize muscular tension and how to make a muscle relax causing general relaxation
What is a stressor?
a demand, real or imagined, that disrupts a person's equilibrium and initiates the stress response. The body's response is non-specific and varies only in degree and duration—not influenced by the situation or the demand causing the response. A threat or demand is perceived and interpreted by the cerebral cortex. A complex interaction of the nervous system and endocrine system sets into motion the nervous and hormonal changes that prepare for the physical response. This intricate system works well for acute stress but not so well for the onslaught of chronic stress an officer frequently faces.
What does rest and relaxation do for PNS?
allows digestion, repair, and immune response to resume
What is regularity and recovery? When does fitness (as it equates to performance) begin to decline? How long should you recover between using the same muscle groups?
an exercise program should be regular and provide time for recovery. Studies show that fitness, which equates to performance, begins to decline after 96 hours. You should allow 48 hours between heavy exercise that uses the same muscle groups or that is high impact such as running.
What is LDL
bad cholesterol tends to clog arteries
What are fuel nutrients?
carbs, fats, proteins
What is the definition of wellness?
consists of a person's health/ disease status and risk potential
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
creates biochemical changes to the mind and body to prepare to respond to threat (fight or flight). Like pushing the accelerator of a car.
5 Phases of Transition from traumatic events
denial anger bargaining depression (often the longest) acceptance
Strategies to positively channel changes to enhance tactical performance or minimize deterioration of psychomotor skills and sensory changes do not include a. Mental Rehearsel b. Practice c. tactical breathing d. Positive talk and self affirmation e. Elevated Thinking
e
What is hypervigilance?
elevated alertness of surroundings required of law enforcement officers for survival. It is viewing the world from a threat-based perspective having the mindset to see the events unfolding as potentially hazardous.
What do relaxation techniques do?
engage the PNS and throttle back the CNS
Relationship between fat and cholesterol --
fat contains cholesterol and affects the way cholesterol is metabolized in the body.
What is progressive overload?
for improvements in fitness, the demands placed on the body must be greater than those of daily activities.
What is HDL
good cholesterol helps carry cholesterol to the liver "protective"
What are some of the risk factors for law enforcement to abuse drugs and alcohol
high levels of stress peer pressure isolation from the mainstream preponderance of young male individuals culture that approves of using alcohol to relax and cope with stress. a need for emotional control and a disposition to solve problems and move on; can make officers quick to get rid of their problems rather than face them and work through them.
What are minerals?
inorganic substances also needed in very small quantities.
What does tactical breathing do?
low deep breathing kicks in the Parasympathetic NS. Causes the heart rate and blood pressure to lower and the body relax.
Strategies to positively channel changes to enhance tactical performance are geared towards what?
minimizing heart rate
What is functional and health related fitness? What are the components? (5)
most important because these components don't just focus on job functions; they are related to being a fit, functional, productive human being for a lifetime. o Cardiovascular fitness or endurance o Flexibility o Muscular endurance (dynamic strength) o Muscular strength (absolute strength) o Body Composition
What is distress?
negative stress
What are the components of motor fitness?
o Agility o Anaerobic power (Speed) o Explosive leg strength or power
Steroid use can cause severe physical and psychological changes such as:
o Increased cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose o Increased irritability and hostility "roid rage" o Increased risks of liver cancer, hepatitis, hypertension and diabetes
What happens when PNS is turned off or reduced?
o digestion slows or stops as blood is needed elsewhere o immune system is compromised o non-critical systems are shut down o tissue building & repair stops
What are vitamins?
organic substances essential for metabolism, growth and development. They do not provide any energy—no calories but are essential in energy processes.
Physical Fitness equates to what?
performance and readiness
What is eustress?
positive stress
What is PTSD?
post traumatic stress disorder Creates major distress This is not "normal" stress and may need professional help. PTSD is similar to CIS but symptoms are prolonged past 1 month. The person is unable to make the event part of their past keeping it part of their present.
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
rest, digestion, and nutrients
What will DPD do with your gun after a shooting?
take your gun and give you a substitution
Unsaturated Fats --
tend to be liquid at room temperature and most often come from vegetable sources. These fat choices can help control cholesterol levels and prevent strokes and heart attacks. Sources: corn, soy, safflower olive and canola oil, avocados and nuts.
Saturated Fats --
tend to be solid at room temperature and mostly come from animal sources such as whole milk, cheese, butter, beef, and pork. Tropical oils such as palm, coconut and palm kernel oil (all commonly used in fast and packaged foods) are saturated fats although they are liquid and are from plants.
Co workers are normally the first to see a substance abuse problem, but...
the last to intervene
How can you have control between SNS and PNS interplay?
through stress management techniques
What are steroids used in LE?
to get a performance edge on the "bad guy"
What is trans fat?
unsaturated fats that have been hydrogenated to make them saturated
What are non fuel nutrients?
vitamins, minerals, water
What are the activities listed under physical fitness? (there are 7)
· Muscular strength; · Muscular endurance; · Cardiovascular endurance; · Flexibility; · Agility; · Power; · Speed;
What is acute stress?
• A short-term stress with a quick resolution • The type of stress our body handles the best • Fight or flight
What is chronic stress?
• Prolonged unrelieved stress • Also called cumulative stress • Prolonged unrelieved wear and tear results form too many demands • Driving with your foot on the brake = burnout
