Lawfit Fitness Training Workshops (Dates and locations to be announced)
In 1994 the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) began using LawFit® to assist criminal justice academies and law enforcement agencies throughout the State to develop health and fitness programs for recruits and incumbent officers. A three-day FITNESS LEADERSHIP CERTIFICATION COURSE was developed to provide officers with a variety of assessment tools and training strategies to plan and implement effective health maintenance programs for their personnel. Fitness leaders receive detailed instruction concerning fitness assessment, weight training, flexibility and stretching, aerobic fitness, nutrition, and stress management.
Throughout the LawFit® Fitness Leadership Program the instructional process emphasizes active participation. During the first day each participant will complete a battery of fitness evaluations. The information obtained from these profiles will serve as the basis for interpreting the major components of health related fitness (muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory function and body composition) which are discussed and demonstrated throughout the course. These profiles also will be used to assist each fitness leader in developing the necessary skills for providing individual exercise prescriptions for his/her fellow officers.
During days two and three of the program fitness leaders will receive detailed instruction concerning weight training, flexibility and stretching, aerobic fitness, nutrition, and stress management. Upon completion of LawFit®’s Leadership Program fitness leaders will have the skills necessary to develop an on-going health maintenance program for their departments.
LawFit Program Objectives
Completion of the LawFit® Program will enable fitness leaders to:
- Understand the benefits provided by regular exercise including reduced cardiovascular risk, management of stress, weight control, improved professional performance and a sense of physical and mental well-being.
- Understand the physiology of exercise including its effects on aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.
- Understand the relationships between physical fitness and other lifestyle factors such as diet, smoking, and alcohol use.
- Promote effectively a wide range of fitness activities among fellow officers including on the job and off the job fitness activities through skilled leadership, motivational techniques, and reinforcement strategies.
- Monitor the fitness status of their fellow officers as they progress in the LawFit® Program.
LawFit® Fitness Leadership Curriculum Overview
To enhance instruction, every session has an associated activity component, which allows officers to apply in a practical manner the concepts that they are learning. This hands-on, experiential approach motivates fitness leaders in the LawFit® Program to lead by example and reinforces the fact that any successful fitness program must have the active support of senior management.
Day One
Session1: Officers and Physical Fitness
Session 2: During this session participants will complete a battery of health and fitness assessments.
Session 3: Nutrition and Weight Control for Officers
Session 4: Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Law Enforcement
Session 5: Interpreting and Applying Assessment Information: Flexibility
Day Two
Session 6: Interpreting and Applying Assessment Information: Muscular Strength and Endurance
Session 7: Interpreting and Applying Assessment Information and Results: Body Composition
Session 8: Law Officer Fitness Assessments
Day Three
Session 9: Work Performance Testing, Pre-hire Screening, and Special Operations Team Selection
Session 10: Prevention and Treatment of Exercise-Induced Injuries
Session 11: Promoting Optimum Health: Motivational and Reinforcement Strategies