An Exploratory Analysis of Relationships between Physical Activity, General Health and Fitness, and Job-Specific Fitness in Law Enforcement Officers

The physical fitness of law enforcement officers (LEO) generally declines over their career. Sedentary behaviors contribute to these declines, which could impact job performance. Wellness programs often encourage physical activity (PA) participation in officers with the belief that this will benefit general and job-specific fitness. Greater evidence for this assertion could support wellness program implementation. PURPOSE: To derive relationships between PA with general and job-specific fitness in LEO. METHODS: Data from 60 LEO (48 males, 12 females) from one agency were analyzed. Officers completed a questionnaire assessing PA (weekly strenuous, moderate, and mild exercise sessions; activity score), with 3 added items for resistance training (RT) (likelihood of RT; average RT sessions per week over past 3 months; number of RT sessions in past 7 days). General health and fitness tests included resting heart rate (RHR), blood pressure, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), sit-and-reach, grip strength, 60-s push-ups, 60-s sit-ups, and YMCA step test. Job-specific fitness was measured by a 99-yard obstacle course, 165-lb body drag, 6-foot chain link fence climb, 6-foot solid wall climb, and 500-yard run. Partial correlations controlling for sex calculated relationships between PA with general and job-specific fitness (p<0.05). The sample was also split into quartiles based on PA activity score. Univariate analyses, with sex as a covariate and Bonferroni post hoc analyses, derived between-quartile fitness differences. RESULTS: Weekly strenuous PA sessions related to RHR (r=-0.36), WHR (r=-0.29), push-ups (r=0.31), and sit-ups (r=0.33). Activity score related to RHR (r=-0.27) and sit-ups (r=0.35). RT likelihood related to RHR (r=-0.40), WHR (r=-0.33), push-ups (r=0.39), and sit-ups (r=0.40); 3-month RT frequency related to RHR (r=-0.41), push-ups (r=0.43), and sit-ups (r=0.31); weekly RT frequency related to push-ups (r=0.39) and sit-ups (r=0.35). There were no significant relationships for PA and job-specific fitness. The top quartile had a lower RHR than the bottom quartile (p=0.03) and completed more sit-ups than the bottom two quartiles (p≤0.03). While there were no significant between-quartile differences in job-specific fitness, there was a tendency for higher quartiles to be faster (Figure 1). CONCLUSIONS: Officers who completed more weekly strenuous PA had a lower RHR and WHR, and better muscular endurance (push-ups/sit-ups). Greater RT frequency related to lower RHR and better muscular endurance. While there were no significant relationships or between-group differences when officers were split into PA quartiles, officers in higher quartiles tended to be faster in the job tasks. However, general PA alone may not be enough to maintain job-specific fitness. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Greater PA and RT frequency may benefit RHR, WHR, and muscular endurance. Some positive impacts to job performance may occur, but LEO may require job-specific fitness training.