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How physical fit do you really need to be to treat
patients on board a helicopter or a fixed wing bird
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You'd be surprised. Some of these 5' RN's
sure do one hell of a job with these #250's at a scene
and have more than paid their dues in the unit and
ER's taking care of the "large humans".
Not everyone can appreciate the strength: weight
ratio of smaller people.
Ever seen #100 suzy no-butt intubate some big
gorilla? and lug it to a hot aircraft in mud or
snow?
Probably the most important thing to do is look at
you mission profile, the type of
physical work you do, and then incorporate it into
a regular conditioning program.
Excellent point posted earlier about evaluation of
injuries and have a physical therapist
assist with development of a program, as well as
flexibility vs. the "no brain-no pain" regime.
I think we waste our time with the "annual fitness"
evaluation. It's planned, it's timed,
and you know what it consists of. Does the
same happen for your flights? May not
be a bad idea to have fitness evals be "no notice".
Then again, if you maintain a good
level of conditioning, why do you need to have it evaluated?
As previously posted, excessive fitness programs
can and will take their toll over
time and are probably not necessary (unless you're
one of those outfits in the
great white north, eh -- my hat is off to you
folks). We tend to be a bit more sedentary, so it's
even more important to get out for a brisk walk, walk some stairs, do some light
cals, and stretch on a daily basis. Probably
best to be realistic about what you
do and what you need to do it.
MV
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