Keep reading to discover what you can do to naturally improve your heart function for a long and healthy life.

Lose weight

This should be at the top of your list to get into good physical health overall, but it is especially important to your cardio health. Overweight people are at a higher risk for developing diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even certain types of cancer. Obesity will also cause your heart to pump harder which can lead to long term damage.

Due to the extreme temperatures that we are exposed to as firefighters, the more weight you are carrying, the more your heart and body have to work. The heavier you are, the more your body has to work to cool down also. This puts you at a higher risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Imagine carrying the weight of two SCBA’s or more all the time…

Stop smoking

I know, you smokers are saying “But I tried and I can’t” or “I don’t want to”. It’s your life, do what you want. As a former smoker of over 20 years, I can honestly say that I don’t miss it like I thought I would. I feel better and am performing better on the job.

This habit can put you at a much higher risk for heart attack and stroke. Smoking is one of the most preventable causes of heart disease there is. So if you smoke, stop. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you live with a smoker, insist that they not smoke around you. Second hand smoke can do just as much, if not more, damage to your lungs.

The latest cancer reports can verify the toxic atmospheres that we work in are dangerous and are killing firefighters at an increasing rate. Why would you breath smoke anymore?

Exercise

Your heart is a muscle. The best way to develop any muscle is through exercise. This includes your heart muscle. Exercise gets your blood pumping and makes your heart stronger. It also reduces cholesterol levels and helps to reduce stress.

You don’t have to prepare to go and compete in the Firefighter Combat Challenge or anything like that. Even 2 or 3 days of moderate exercise a week can make a difference in your life.

Eat heart healthy foods

Foods that are rich in potassium are good for your heart. You should also try to avoid foods that are high in sodium because sodium will make you retain excess water and put a strain on your heart muscle. Studies have shown that foods that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids are good for your heart. Stop eating the high calorie, high fat junk foods and start eating a diet rich in fiber, fruit and vegetables.

It’s hard to eat healthy all the time. Depending on how busy your department is and what your schedule is like, it can be next to impossible. Find the healthiest alternative at the restaurant you are eating at. You will want to pay special attention to the fat content and sodium.

Lower your stress levels

Yeah right! But the Chief…!!!

This can be easier said than done. We all lead busy, stressful lives. If you feel that you are under too much stress, investigate ways to decrease these stress levels. There may be some things you cannot change, but some things you can. If you are trying to be perfect in everything you do, stop.

Nobody is perfect and trying to achieve perfection will cause unneeded stress in your life. Find something that you can do that will de-stress you. Some people like to exercise while others engage in their favorite hobby. Whatever you, do try to lower your stress level to protect your heart from the damage that ongoing stress can cause.

The topics are 5 of the most common ways you can improve your cardiac health and improve your life. Going quickly are the days where firefighters don’t need to be fit. With all of the studies about firefighter deaths and fitness resources that are available to us today, there is no excuse to not be exercising or getting into some type of shape other than round!

As an overview of how the 118 firefighters died in 2007, here are some of the “highlights” of the report.

• 68 volunteer firefighters and 50 career firefighters died while on duty.
• There were 7 firefighter fatality incidents where 2 or more firefighters were killed, claiming a total of 21 firefighters’ lives.
• 11 firefighters were killed during activities involving brush, grass, or wildland firefighting, the lowest in over a decade.
• Activities related to emergency incidents resulted in the deaths of 76 firefighters.
• 38 firefighters died while engaging in activities at the scene of a fire.
• 26 firefighters died while responding to or returning from emergency incidents.
• 11 firefighters died while they were engaged in training activities.
• 15 firefighters died after the conclusion of their on-duty activity.
• Heart attacks were the most frequent cause of death for 2007, with 52 firefighter deaths.
• 27 firefighters were killed as a result of vehicle crashes.

You can download the full report from two sources:

NFPA Full Report
USFA Full Report

This is a new site that is dedicated to bringing you fitness, nutrition and other tips that will help you to learn more about fitness and health topics. This site is written by firefighters for firefighters.

We have A.C.E. and Coopers certified firefighters that have developed fitness plans for individuals and departments. One of our writers is a Firefighter Combat Challenge veteran!

We hope you will enjoy this site and please check back often as we get started adding great content.