The National Volunteer Fire Council has made four new health and wellness webinars available on-demand to members of the fire and emergency services. The webinars cover the role of insulin in our bodies, functional fitness for firefighters, stress and heart health, and basic nutrition.

The training is provided using an online platform from McNeil and Company’s Emergency Services Insurance Program (ESIP). The following webinars are now available:

The Insulin Connection explains insulin’s diverse role in our bodies. The presentation begins with a brief explanation of the physiology of insulin, then moves into behaviors that can improve insulin sensitivity and control blood sugar. Nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress can all affect blood sugar levels and insulin production. This webinar shows how small changes in our everyday lives can improve our health and reduce the risk of diabetes, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, and obesity.

The Impact of Stress on Firefighter Heart Health explains the causes of stress and discusses the physiological, emotional, and behavioral affects stress can have on the mind and body. This webinar identifies factors that can increase the risk of suffering from stress and how to manage, prevent, and reduce stress within the fire department.

Coming soon to on-demand are:
Basic Nutrition provides an easy-to-follow, comprehensive guide to basic firefighter nutrition and explains the "how, what, why, and when" of nutrition to maintain peak fitness throughout a fire service career.
Functional Fitness for Firefighters is a continuing education course designed for physical fitness professionals desiring to increase their knowledge and skills in the area of functional movements and coaching proper movement while maintaining stability and mobility.

Click here to access these four webinars, go to "Not Already Registered?" and register as a student using access code 6832. Find additional online training opportunities from the NVFC at www.nvfc.org/trainingeducation.