Police officer survival - the enemy within

The common adage, I am my own worst enemy, may well apply to today's police officer. They survive attacks via firearms, knives and fists but succumb to injuries and illnesses that may be preventable. In an article titled Life Expectancy in Police Officers: A Comparison with the U.S. General Population , author John M. Violanti compared the risk of death and longevity of police officers to those parameters in the general population, and it doesn't sound good for the men and women in blue.

No single study can ever be evaluated as conclusive, but Violanti's study showed a very significant difference in the life-expectancy of police officers to that of the general population. Officers displayed a mean difference of 21.9 years as compared with the general public. In other words, according to this study, cops die at a much-younger age, both while still in service and during retirement, than members of the public.

To put this into perspective, the study projected the probability of death for a general-population male, age 40-44, to be .0034 - and that of an officer in the same age range to be .171 - a major difference. Violanti et al also projected that same officer to live only another 12.38 years on average - while the general-population guy is slated to go on for 44.96 more years. The major questions here involve why do police officers die young and what can be done to attenuate that issue.

Let's start with stress. The major sources of stress originate from things over which we have little-to-no control. A relaxed conversation in the station can end quickly with a 911 call of a fatal accident, shooting, suicide or robbery. Waiting around in court waiting for your case to be called - while in a state of deprived sleep - can take a toll. Arguments and disputes with the command staff or fellow officers is all too common. Domestic-dispute calls can transition from calm discussions to through-the-roof violence in a heartbeat.

All too often, the officer that is passionate and dedicated to his job is not so determined to take care of him , her her, self. Obesity, poor diet, alcoholism, poor sleep patterns, lack of exercise and the every-present stress of the job are far too common. These are generally factors over which police have control. What you can't control may cause the most stress, but conversely, you have almost-total control over your fitness level - which in turn, positively affects your health. This is all about nutrition (You become what you eat), exercise and smart supplementation.

Nutrition

Trying to lose weight? Get off the treadmill! Cardiovascular exercise has little effect on weight loss for most. What to eat? Go for color. The chemicals that color the fruits and vegetables protect you from disease. Look for yellow, red, green, orange, purple. Eat wild foods when you can. What protects the wild blueberry in the field guards you against disease. Eat plenty of protein, including quality whey powder - which I don't include in the supplement portion of this article since I regard it as virtually necessary. Count calories. Guys eating 1,500 calories per day most of the time lose weight. Little time to eat right? Microwave a cup of cooked spinach - throw some turkey breast, red lettuce and sliced onion in a pita pocket. Learn nutrition. It is invaluable.

Exercise

Use exercise as a stress reliever. Walk, run, hike and bike for recreation and accept the calorie loss as a bonus. As already stated, 45 minutes on the treadmill or stepper won't get you lean. But 10-12 minutes of intense cardio can assist with health, sleep, mood - and general well-being. Do strength training. Go for power and strength. They can be developed relatively quickly. Police officers need both in their daily duties. Gradually let your body adapt to performing your first sets of a muscle group as a heavy, one-rep set - without a warm-up. It can be done. You won't be allowed a warm-up before taking down a large brute that wants to fight. That is my point.

Supplementation

As already stated, if you aren't taking whey protein, you are making a mistake. The benefits are tremendous, and it is a quick, effective way (no pun intended) to get additional protein. For regularity, nothing beats psyllium powder. You won't like the taste, but it works like a charm. Doctors usually don't recommend supplements, but many are now suggesting patients take vitamin D. Definitely a good idea. Most supplements are useless, so learn about them and choose wisely. Taking the right ones can improve quality of life and extend it.

The job of the patrol officer keeps getting more complex and stressful. Make an arrest and you can be criticized from all sides. You will be judged for years on a decision you had to make in one second. A judge will exonerate a criminal you and most others know is guilty. You can't control that. Focus on yourself. Work on your health, physique and mental attitude. One of the pluses in being a police officer is the retirement plan. You want to complete your stint in law enforcement and live a long time in retirement. You want to outlive the bastards that sought to bring you down when you patrolled the streets. That is your goal.

Time, comfort and curiosity - their profound affect on aging

Time seems to stand quite still
In a child's world it always will- "Morning. Another morning" by The Moody Blues

The days for a child pass quickly but the years pass like a slow-moving freight train. As an adult, I want the same. Time, or at least our perception of it, can be controlled. Here is Scientific American's James M. Broadway on the subject:

“Where did the time go?” middle-aged and older adults often remark. Many of us feel that time passes more quickly as we age, a perception that can lead to regrets. According to psychologist and BBC columnist Claudia Hammond, “the sensation that time speeds up as you get older is one of the biggest mysteries of the experience of time.”

"Engaging in a novel exploit makes time appear to pass more quickly in the moment. But if we remember that activity later on, it will seem to have lasted longer than more mundane experiences."

That is where curiosity and comfort enter the picture. We need curiosity to engage in novel exploits, and we need to get out of our comfort zones to accomplish this. The curiosity factor truly separates kids from adults. These are some ideas from ExploringYourMind:

"Understand that the shadow of old age looms when you stop learning, when your curiosity fades and you live more in your memories than in your dreams. This isn’t the right way to handle it."

"Never open your eyes to a new day without a project to complete, a goal to achieve, or a gratifying activity to invest your time in.
Don’t stay at home all day."

So where do you start. With filling your day. At 76 years of age, I walk outdoors and do strength training in my basement. As a child, I was constantly outdoors exploring or in our basement in Reading, Massachusetts doing chemistry experiments and taxidermy. I even made my own gunpowder from scratch. That resulted in a few noisy experiments in the gravel pit behind our house. My parents had no issue with it and I never came close to getting injured. My days were filled, and they passed quickly. Here is Scientific American's James M. Broadway once again:

"This phenomenon, which Hammond has dubbed the holiday paradox, seems to present one of the best clues as to why, in retrospect, time seems to pass more quickly the older we get. From childhood to early adulthood, we have many fresh experiences and learn countless new skills. As adults, though, our lives become more routine, and we experience fewer unfamiliar moments. As a result, our early years tend to be relatively overrepresented in our autobiographical memory and, on reflection, seem to have lasted longer. Of course, this means we can also slow time down later in life. We can alter our perceptions by keeping our brain active, continually learning skills and ideas, and exploring new places."

As an older adult, I still spend a lot of time outdoors exploring, and as a Personal Trainer and Health Coach, I am always in my basement changing the layout of the gym or inventing new exercises for myself and my clients. But I found it wasn't enough to fill the days, which often passed slowly.

The change came about with an e-mail from a Boston Celtics blog site looking for writers. They asked for a brief life history and a writing sample. I never expected a response, but I got one. They would give me a shot. I had never been a sports writer and was far from a computer whiz. I had to learn everything in a couple of weeks, and it was tough. I was truly out of my comfort zone, and during the trying several weeks, I thought of giving up. But with a lot of help from a fellow-blogger, I got through it.

It often takes a stimulus from another person to get us moving and changing our lives for the better. My father and brother followed the now-outdated path of working hard, retiring early and then doing little. They both died at 64 years of age. I vowed I would not follow their lead. It didn't work for them, and it wouldn't have worked for me. Older folks need to take clues from others, but choose those folks wisely. Of the many things I learned as first a Research Engineer, and later as a Police Investigator and Health Coach, the most important was nothing is ever what it appears to be. Don't try to keep up with the Joneses unless you know where they are going. Someone we feel leads a perfect life may be on the verge of having that life collapse. Don't follow.

As kids, we had no computers. If you wanted a question answered, you went to the library or book store. Now we can have a question answered via computer in seconds. A computer is one of the best learning tools ever invented, and it is a great way to satisfy, and intensify, curiosity. Here are a few ideas on getting out of your comfort zone. If you stop moving, your body shuts down. I almost never stop moving, except when I am sleeping or writing. You need to take care of your body. My workouts are brief and efficient, often lasting less than 15 minutes. Also, you become what you eat. Learn more about nutrition from the right sources. There is a lot of bad info out there. Don't fall for it. Don't move to a one-story home to avoid stair climbing unless absolutely necessary. If you stop climbing stairs, you lose the ability to do so.

But most important of all, be aware of your surroundings. What is around you that can hurt you or help you? Stop being the person that tells stories from the past without any new endeavors to relate. If you are disappointed in your older adult life, change it. Hasten the days and slow the years. Get out of your comfort zone, and be curious about why things work the way they do. Become a child again, at least in some ways. Like yourself and the life you lead. My background is diverse and I have experienced much. But I learn something new every day. Stay tuned to my blog for some How-To's on surviving and enjoying your second half-century.