Regrettably paramedic Ralph Oswald died in the line of duty on February 9, 2015. Read the LODD announcement.
This week my hat goes off to Ralph Oswald, who encapsulates many of us in EMS who struggle to maintain some resemblance of a healthy weight and lifestyle.
He wasn’t terribly overweight, but as a participant on the Today Show’s “6 Months to a 6-Pack” challenge, he clearly describes the difficulties we in EMS face trying to fend off excess pounds, and the urge to sit in front of the station TV while sitting at post.
EMS providers are at greater risk for injury than firefighters or police officers. Our jobs often consist of monotonous hours of waiting, punctuated by minutes of high-energy, high-stress events.
We are responsible for safely moving human beings that are wobbly, often heavy, and don’t come with convenient grab handles. Being out of shape and overweight contributes a lot to our injury rate.
Our own Bryan Fass has been pounding his message of fitness for first responders for years. He offers a lot of great advice and suggestions for how to get fit, and stay that way, while on duty.
I’ve tried several of his recommendations both on and off-duty and have lost a few pounds doing so. I’ve also tried to eat healthier and be more conscious about sitting in front of a screen while at work.
It’s definitely helped.
It’s even easier when everyone at the station participates. Cooking together, playing a pickup game of basketball, or doing a mass washing of the units is more fun as a group activity.
I urge you to read the article and see if anything Ralph says pertains to you. Being healthy is not only good for your job, but for your life. I’d love to see more of us “gray heads” in the business.
