Perhaps a more important aspect of physical health for police officers is cardio. Police officers are far more likely to need cardiovascular endurance while on the job. If conditioning is not good enough, the heart does not pump blood sufficiently to the body, and as a result, the officers cannot do their job properly (Oldham, 2001). Bisset, Bisset and Snell (2012) suggest that foot pursuits generally last no longer than 100 yards; therefore, should an officer train by running miles everyday or by performing high interval training? More than likely high interval training is going to benefit an officer more than long endurance running will. When an officer chases a suspect, it is usually a fast paced 100-yard sprint and a wrestle match at the
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The number one killer of police officers is heart attack and heart disease (Oldham, 2001). Physical fitness is often taken for granted, but can be the difference between a long career and a career ending injury. “Fatigue is a subjective state of exhaustion in which the willingness and ability to take the physical and mental effort decrease” (Basinka & Wiciak, p. 267). Police officers experience fatigue on a daily basis, both at work and after work. Police officers are faced with vigorous demands daily, all of which contribute to fatigue. A typical day for a police officer lasts anywhere from eight to 12 hours, but can last much longer depending on work load.
Police officers also have to adjust from day to night shifts on a regular basis. Rotating shifts cause problems with the circadian rhythm. When officers go from day to night shifts they are drastically changing their sleep schedules, often causing fatigue (Basinka & Wiciak, 2012). Many officers also work long overtime shifts to make ends meet at home. Police officers generally do not make much money, so often they take on jobs at various businesses working security. When others get off work and get to relax some police officers head straight to an off duty job, which results in very little relaxation before their next shift. Starting a shift already fatigued as a police officer can be a dangerous decision (Basinka
The number one killer of police officers is heart attack and heart disease (Oldham, 2001). Physical fitness is often taken for granted, but can be the difference between a long career and a career ending injury. “Fatigue is a subjective state of exhaustion in which the willingness and ability to take the physical and mental effort decrease” (Basinka & Wiciak, p. 267). Police officers experience fatigue on a daily basis, both at work and after work. Police officers are faced with vigorous demands daily, all of which contribute to fatigue. A typical day for a police officer lasts anywhere from eight to 12 hours, but can last much longer depending on work load.
Police officers also have to adjust from day to night shifts on a regular basis. Rotating shifts cause problems with the circadian rhythm. When officers go from day to night shifts they are drastically changing their sleep schedules, often causing fatigue (Basinka & Wiciak, 2012). Many officers also work long overtime shifts to make ends meet at home. Police officers generally do not make much money, so often they take on jobs at various businesses working security. When others get off work and get to relax some police officers head straight to an off duty job, which results in very little relaxation before their next shift. Starting a shift already fatigued as a police officer can be a dangerous decision (Basinka