Fit or Fat In The LE Profession?

When I first was asked to write for Officer.com, I asked my followers for ideas on what I should write about. One of my “Sisters in blue” suggested I write about the hardship of the female Officer. This hardship I am speaking of is the life altering event of trying to urinate while on duty. You know, problems such as having to take your entire belt off, now where do we put the belt, ewww not on the gross gas station floor… you know what I am talking about, sisters. I thought that would be hilarious but I will save that for a later article. On a more serious note… let’s talk about the importance of fitness in law enforcement. I know, I know, no rolling your eyes.

Have you ever gotten out of bed, started getting dressed for work, and thought to yourself… “Yeaaaah… I really don’t want to die today.” Or what about, “Well, I sure hope I don’t meet that one criminal tonight that kicks my ass.” If you are saying these things to yourself, you are most likely a cop. If you never say these things to yourself and you ARE a cop, you should start immediately. Most “Normal people” with “Normal jobs” might think these are very morbid thoughts to have on a daily basis. I hate to break it to you all, but we are NOT “Normal.” Unfortunately, these morbid “I don’t want to die today,” thoughts are actually HEALTHY thoughts for us in our profession of policing.

When I first created Fit Cops page on Facebook, I was excited to have created a fitness community within ourselves, Law Enforcement/Public Safety/First Responders, where we could support and encourage each other. Okay fine, I will admit, I also selfishly wanted to be able to post my own progress pictures and “Gym selfies” without getting hassled by my non-fitness friends. Early on, I asked another Law Enforcement Facebook page to “share” Fit Cops page, thinking that it was a positive thing to support fitness in Law Enforcement. The email response I received back from this page was surprising and depressing. An administrator of this page advised they would not be willing to share Fit Cops because she believed pictures of cops “Flexing” portrayed a “Bad image” for Law Enforcement. As I read the email response, I said to myself, “Get out of here with that bullsh*t.” What about that image and perception that a lot of people have of Police Officers right now? That image being we are fat, lazy, unhealthy, “Pigs.” I believe if we all support each other, we can not only change this negative perception of Law Enforcement, but better ourselves and our profession.

TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC AND DO THIS- It is time to ask yourself the hard questions. It is time to reflect. I understand, no one likes doing this, especially if you have things that need changing. Do you feel that your performance is at its best in the current shape you are in? Is fitness a priority to you? If it isn’t, why not? If you don’t want to get fit for yourself, consider doing it for your family at home and fellow brothers and sisters in blue.

WHERE DO I START? - Everyone must start somewhere! Let’s start with simply moving while we are at work. Once every hour, make it a goal to get out of your patrol car, get off of your seat in corrections/dispatch, and MOVE. Set a goal to do 10, 20, 30 (reps are based on your fitness level) push-ups once an hour. Switch it up the next hour and get off your seat, out of your patrol car and do 10, 20, 30, “Air squats.” Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Try doing more “foot patrols” instead of driving the perimeter of the business/park when you can. You see that curb over there? It is no longer just a CURB, now it is an object to do toe raises on (or bust your face, hopefully not that one though). Ever thought about doing triceps dips on the push bumper of your patrol vehicle? How about you challenge your fellow brothers and sisters in blue to fitness contests at work such as-- who can do more pull-ups in uniform? Who can do the most squats while carrying their partner? THIS one is my personal favoriteà Try being a couple of minutes late to patrol briefing on purpose so you can do push-ups for punishment (this has happened thanks to my patrol Lieutenant who is a former Marine!) No, I am just kidding; I don’t actually suggest being late to briefing… but that would be funny. Become part of a fitness community like Fit Cops on Facebook so you can network and encourage others in your area!

DEALING WITH CRITCISM- TELL THOSE HATERS EXACTLY WHERE THEY CAN SHOVE IT- Now that you have taken steps to improve yourself, you will with no doubt have to start dealing with the “Haters.” I have been asked several times why I train so much and even sometimes criticized harshly for my dedication to fitness. Additionally, I have been told by other brothers/sisters in blue that are dedicated to fitness, that they have encountered the same negativity. The most common question we hear is, “You can’t just skip the gym today?” No. I have also had this negative statement thrown at me, “I feel like you have let this whole fitness thing (insert sarcasm) take over your life.” My response to anyone that accuses me of letting “Fitness take over my life,” is “I do this FOR MY LIFE.” You can tell those haters EXACTLY where they can shove it (hint: it is dark and a lot of people have their heads up there already). 

In Law Enforcement we have a tendency to tear down our own. Why not build each other up while becoming a healthy and strong group of professionals? We can do this together. - KP