This article explains the use of structured functional fitness programs for injury prevention and enhanced job performance in fire service personnel.

Falls resulting from trips are a leading cause of injury and can sometimes result in death, especially in the older population. Numerous researchers have studied the biomechanical mechanisms that differentiate fallers from nonfallers and determined whether training can beneficially impact those outcomes. Exercise and task-specific interventions have demonstrated fewer falls after trips but can be costly and often require specialized equipment, making their applicability less practical. Qualified health and fitness practitioners can develop evidence-informed, exercise-based programs focusing on 3 components (balance training, task-specific training, and resistance exercise). Such programs may help to reduce fall risk in older adults based on previously documented studies identifying the biomechanical demands of a successful fall arrest after a trip perturbation. These multicomponent programs should include a safe task-specific training element that does not require specialized equipment.

Mandy Nice explains the benefits and need of expanding health and fitness programs into military and law enforcement agencies, and offers strategies for the common obstacles preventing implementation of these programs.

Learn how to individualize a group training session to ensure that all athletes are training at the same intensity. In this session from the NSCA’s 2017 Coaches Conference, Mick Stierli explains how to prescribe individual training for athletes at differing levels of fitness, and the importance of prescribing individual training intensity during conditioning sessions.

Instead of tactical athletes initially focusing on training programs that address specific aspects, training programs should emphasize proper movement patterns as a foundation before progressing.

This article examines training from collegiate lacrosse programs and how this data can be used to develop data-informed recommendations and refine current approaches towards preparing military and tactical personnel for the Army Combat Fitness Test.