Ok, maybe I'm going off on the deep on for this topic and I'm sure there's something similar burried in the forum here, but I have to address it. Health in the U.S. is an absolute joke and especially with pilots. It's astonishing to see the lack of respect that pilots have for their own well being. Pilots are responsible for three major things; the aircraft, the people on board and the people on the ground. When you put your health on the back burner and basically "dont give a damn", that shows a complete lack of respect for, not only yourself, but the passengers and the people ont he ground. When you have an M.I., thromboembolism, atrial fib, etc...What now? The plane stays on autopilot until it runs out of fuel? "But the copilot is there." What if he has an MI too!?!? Both of ya, DEAD! I remember hearing stories from aviation in the early to mid 1900's, how pilots were in great shape, sharp looking and sharp thinking. What the hell happened, guys?!? Most pilots I see waddling around the terminal are in horrible shape and sometimes I get quite nervous when I find out one of them is flying my plane. This topic might pinch a nerve for some of you and I hope it does! I've spent the last six years of my life studying, receiving a degree in and practicing exercise physiology and the statistics I've seen are not pretty. I personally feel that there should be a MANDATORY corporate wellness program implemented into every sinlge airline around the globe. It should be like the FBI, US Marshalls or Navy Seals: sound cardiovascular fitness and absolute air tight health standards. If not for the sake of your passengers, then for the sake of your medical. My best friends dad had his medical snatched because of a 90% blockage in his aorta! That's a huge problem and it was 100% preventable! 100%! There's no excuse and he knows that now....Only about 10 years too late. The human body was designed to move, in all aspects. If we work a loafing job, such as flying, we MUST supplement physical movement with a rigorous exercise regimine, as well as sound nutrition. Period. If not, then suffer the consequences by yourself at a job on the ground, in an office. Don't suffer them while your flying at FL310 and make the passengers pay for your negelegence when you die at the controls, at age 35, from an MI.

 

How about channeling some of this taunting concern and apparent knowledge into posting some good rules of thumb on some minimum exercise requirements and diet do's and don'ts.

Just keep in mind that we can't all be marathon runners. What would be some minimum criteria that the weakest link among us could do to tip the meter towards a healthier lifestyle and then maintain that?

I try and walk 30 minutes, at least 4 days a week and genereally watch what I eat. I don't drink or smoke. Is that enough, or do I have to be a total gym geek?

 

I'm in shape - "round" is a shape.

 

I do feel that our profession (like firemen, military, etc) does stand to benefit from a public image that inspires confidence. The heavier boyz and girlz should do themselves and us a favor and improve their lifestyle. However...

Many airlines screen (formally or informally) for BMI and many other health indicators. HOWEVER...this is NOT done in any way, shape, or form with the safety interests of the travelling public in mind. It is done for two reasons
1) Liaibility cushion "well we checked his cholesteral when we hired him"
2) Minimize the likelhood that an employee will take expensive medical/disability leave in the future.

EVERY single company in the world would like to do #2, but it's highly illegal. The ONLY reason the airlines have been able to fight off the lawsuits on this subject is because it's easy to bamboozle twelve of our "peers" with talk about flight safety. Many airlines just verify that you have a current first class...are they measureably less safe? I doubt it.

 

From your studies I'm sure you realize the significance of controlled research, sound statistical analysis, and peer review. Can you reference any published study of commercial pilot health contrasting the health of the general public?

I agree that everyone should watch their health, although I feel that your conclusion is somewhat alarmist without sound data to backup your claim.

 

You know, you're right. I shouldn't have presented the post the way I did but I was just absolutely irritated by the subject. My apologies to everyone. Ok, I'll channel some positive energy this time.

Nobody has to be a marathon runner. That's in the elite athlete category that requires very strict training schedule. The ACSM (American Academy of Sports Medicine) suggests at least 150 minutes a week of rigorous cardiovascular exercise. That's 30 minutes a day. But that's the minimums. To get and maintain results, you have to constantly push the envelope. The human body adapts to stages of cardiovascular fitness and ultimately you plateau. You stay in good shape but if you like that enorphine rush, feling euphoric after exercise, then push it to the next level and consistantly change up your routine so it doesn't become just another "routine"; it gets boring. Also, utilize some of the stuff at the hotels! My dad runs the stairs in the hotel, up and down 10 - 20 times. LOL! You can also use the bed or some furniture to your advatage too such as a chair of incline pushups or jumping from the ground to the bed for plyometric exercises. Be careful if you do plyometrics!! Make sure you warm up and stetch out properly because they are intense and exert a lot of force on your muscles and tendons. Plyometrics are used primarily by athletes, however, I used them with my clients and the benefits are tremendous. Its sort of like strength training and cardio at the same time only you can't do it for more than 10 - 15 repetitions because of the intensity. Anyway, be creative. That's the fun part and the whole point; to have fun with it. You don't need to be a gym geek or a nutrition freek (although there's nothing wrong with that). On a final note, please watch what you put into your bodies! When I was training my clients, they weren't on any sort of "diet plan", as the media mainstreams it, but I had them switch to a completely, 100%, macrobiotic diet (100% organic). 100% organic foods contain no hormones, pesticides, synthetic chemicals or colors that serve only to deplete the natural energy of our food. It's tough, if not impossible to find organic food in an airport on a 3 hours layover!! That drives me nuts! But if you're in someplace like LAX, PDX, SEA or even JFK, I'm fairly certain that they have pretty healthy places to chow down at. Ok, I am going on and on and on.....If you need more information, please visit my website, www.biokinesis.com/breathe. I'll shut up now.

 

How about we start with sound duty & rest rules? 16 duty 8 rest with major time zone changes or multiple legs even in one time zone is a recipe for chronic fatigue. If you are fatigued all the time you aren't in a very happy mood to go jogging in some garden spot like JFK.

 

Yes, I totally agree with that one!!! I've gone a many trips with my dad, most of them being ORD-HNL on the DC-10. I was exhausted after that trip! I'm not saying exercise MUST to be done everyday but whenever the chance presents itself, take advantage. Hell, even 20 minutes of situps, pushups or some other calisthenic in the hotel room will make all the difference! I do plan on writing a book about maintaining health/fitness, just for pilots and flight attendants sometime within the next 5 years. I need to get into my first flying job and experience everything first hand before I begin writing it. Any suggestions, I'm open for it! One thing I would like to address really quick is that long hours of sitting can be, in extreme cases, fatal. If the blood isn't flowing through the legs at a normal rate, it can coagulate, form a clot and possibly end up right in your heart. Your dead before you hit the ground. :-( This happened to a well known U.S. reporter in Iraq who was sitting in a bomb shelter for 9 hours. 9.99999 times out of 10, this will not happen but it's something to consider and be aware of. Drinking only water during your trips will help keep the blood on the thin side and prevent this from happening. Don't let yourself become dehydrated!! Ok, I'm zipping my pie whole now!

 

Nah, you took a somewhat inflammitory thread and turned it around into something positive and informative. It's much appreciated.

 

Yeah, that was rather impulsive of me. I can totally feel where you are coming from. I wish more people on the forum would be more positive about flying for the RJ's (that'll happen! ). So again, sorry about the negativity. I came to the forum to seek positive motivation and contribute to the positive side of flying, because to me, it's the best job in the world!