The Nest — #Heart

For these six men and women, fitness is a calling, a lifestyle, a sport, and a survival strategy. Learn from people who risk their lives to protect ours. 1. ARMED FOR BATTLE: OFFICER DANIEL BANKS As Officer Daniel Banks tells it, every bar in America is littered with guys who think they're MMA fighters because they watch it on TV while sucking down beers. But the police chief in Tripoli, Iowa, knows all too well that not every adversary is a big-talking wannabe. He takes no one for granted. "Many prison inmates weight train two or three times per day, 365...

  Law enforcement officers must be physically fit for many reasons including for job performance, reducing the risk of future diseases, stress reduction, and shift schedules. A healthy lifestyle for law enforcement officers should include exercise, proper nutrition, stress management, substance-abuse prevention, and health-risk management. Police work takes dedication and a commitment to excellence in every aspect of an officer’s career and life. Physical fitness and health is a significant factor in achieving that excellence. Following are some of the issues regarding the health of police officers and examples of physical fitness routines that can help reduce the problems associated...

Firefighter fitness success depends on our attitude, personal accountability, and action.  But when it comes to working out, we all know that the most common barrier is lack of motivation.  Nearly every firefighter agrees that being fit for duty is a fundamental requirement of the job.  Although it would appear that this core tenet of firefighting would be enough motivation to make our fitness a priority, reality says otherwise.   Wherever you are in your fitness journey, all of us will experience times when we just feel like sitting on the couch and watching T.V. instead of exercising.  So, how...

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Five years ago, Jennifer Owens couldn’t manage to do a single pull-up. It kept her from passing a fitness performance test all police officers must complete as part of the police academy. But now she breezes through more than a dozen pull-ups. Last week she ripped off 18 of them. The 27-year-old Roanoke police detective can also do 70 sit-ups and can bench press 140 pounds, more than her body weight. Owens’ physical abilities have helped out her out at work, where she occasionally has to chase down criminals and restrain men whose size can dwarf her small frame, but...