Interview – Kelly Kennedy, PhD, CSCS, CISSN

Kelly: Well, it is funny you use the word “brief” because the requirement for fitness from an individual department is really operational in nature. That means the officers in most departments around the country only have to display an ability to shoot their weapon and demonstrate proficiency in Defensive Tactics once a year at most (the requirements differ from state to state but additional measures can be set by each individual department).　　Additional training is often required by　the particular department on an average and they usually have to take continuing education in any areas offered which they apply for and are approved to attend.　The biggest issue with fitness in law enforcement is that the instructors training them often do not have any formal guidelines for physical fitness training because most departments are so small, and they have academy classes infrequently.　When they do have an academy, the administration appoints the officer that looks most fit, or whatever officer volunteers to train the academy takes on the responsibility.　In my opinion, if the academy recruit classes are not trained hard enough from the beginning, the class cannot get the physical and psychological results from a good physical conditioning program.　Conversely, when instructors are training classes too hard or inappropriately, they start creating overuse injuries　that costs the department money. Unfortunately,　that is the biggest deterrent towards physical training for most departments　when they are faced with major cutbacks. The immediate need to save money takes precedence over long term gains in the investment of physical conditioning programs.

Kelly: That is a funny question.　 It actually is not a TV created myth.　It started because donut shops were the only establishments that were open either for 24 hours or really early in the morning.　It was the only place police officers could get coffee to stay awake on midnight shifts. And who wouldn’t want a toasted coconut donut to go with a cup o joe at midnight to stay awake on a 12 hour shift?　Oh, did I say toasted coconut?　(that is seriously a fantastic choice) If I did eat donuts, that would be my choice….well I do eat them, just really infrequently. But trust me – if and when I do decide to eat a donut,　it is a toasted coconut or a Boston crème or a glazed…. next question please…

Kelly: Like all people that have let time get away from them, they are normally horrified when they find themselves unable to perform while taking a class that requires a degree of exercise (and isn’t that embarrassing?). 　I would say the biggest misconception is the assumption that they are in better shape than they actually are.　　When the adrenaline is pumping, hopefully their occupational training kicks in…　but after the chase is over, there are frequent hamstring pulls or back injuries that could possibly have been minimized with a good consistent physical conditioning program.　When an officer is in an altercation with a subject, they are working at 100% of their physical capability.　 They do not have the luxury of warming up or stretching…they have often been sitting in a car, eating lunch or standing still and in an instant they can be at a full sprint or wrestling with a subject. They are made aware of that possibility everyday – but they rarely train their bodies to be prepared for that. Honestly, if you asked a professional athlete to do that, they would tell you to go pound sand. So injuries for police remain frequent, stress remains high, and consistent fitness training is often hard to adhere to for the average officer on the road.

Kelly: Heck yah!I think that would be great to tell everyone to follow a strict diet. Honestly, wouldn’t it be great if we all could adhere to a strict diet? My general recommendations are for officers to have a small cooler in their car for quick convenience foods. I recommend items such as nuts, low fat cheese, hard boiled eggs, Greek yogurt, chopped fruits or vegetables.　 Generally, items lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein help them to stay alert and reduces cravings for sugary snacks. I give most of the officers I work with a booklet that is a fast food guide.　I think being aware of the nutrition information is important when making changes in “typical” selections at a fast food establishment. If they make one modification in their diet at every meal, they can start to be more comfortable making alternative choices and create better habits.　Honestly, the law enforcement community just needs to have more convenient ways to avoid the trappings of high fat and sugar snacks that will not help them meet their goals.

Kelly: The most difficult part is getting them to implement the tools they learn and to keep their skills sharp by repetition.　The goal of teaching an officer about exercise science, how to put programs together, how to conduct exercise sessions, reduce injuries and learn basic nutrition facts (amongst other topics), is to bring that information back to their departments so they can mentor others, be a good example, and improve the quality of instruction for the next generation of officers. When they keep learning and improving on that specific skill set, then the future of fitness in law enforcement has a better opportunity to thrive.

Kelly: When I was little I was obsessed with Spiderman.　I had Spiderman underoos and was the only little girl that was obsessed with having him at all my birthday parties.　But since I am not a man, I would choose a combination of Claire Bennett from the TV show Heroes and Wonderwoman. I would pick Claire because she is able to heal herself which I think would be really convenient (I have had my share of injuries) and Wonderwoman because she is always helpful to people, has a magic lasso that makes people tell the truth (I just detest a liar) and I have always loved her wrist guards that can deflect bullets (just in case).　So I guess I gave you three.

Kelly Kennedy, PhD CSCS CISSN is one of the nation’s leading experts in fitness training for police. 　She has physically trained and tested over 1,700 police recruits and officers in the past 13 years. She has lectured on physical fitness for specialized units: Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Rapid Deployment Force (RDF), and Defensive Tactics Instructor. She lead the design of a large tactical obstacle course, is a Subject Matter Expert in physical fitness for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and is on the editorial review for the Tactical Strength and Conditioning Report. 　In addition, she has presented at Conferences for the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA), International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), and Florida SWAT Association. Kelly has worked an examiner for ASCM’s Health/Fitness Instructor exam, interviewed on the Performance Nutrition Radio Show, and was a featured professional in SoBeFit Magazine. 　She worked as an adjunct instructor at Florida International University. 　Kelly is certified with the NSCA as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), with the ACSM as a Health/Fitness Instructor, and Certified from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (CISSN). She is a certified L1 Sport Performance Coach from USAW, L1 Crossfit Instructor, Defensive Tactics Instructor, member of ILEETA, and earned a PhD in Educational Leadership from Lynn University.  For more about Kelly, go to: http://fit-to-enforce.com/