Saving Lives and Staying Strong: EMT/Paramedic Physical Requirements and Fitness Tips

Published: Nov 7, 2024

EMS,Fire

/assets/optimized/2024-10-emt-working-out.webp

There's an assumption that EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) and paramedics are all in great shape because of the physical requirements of being a first responder. But stress, access to fast food, and lots of sitting on the road in your unit can add up!

Yet, physical fitness is crucial in emergency response. In a critical medical situation, your ability to help patients demands strength, stamina, and agility. Physical fitness is also essential for maintaining your mental health under the pressures of emergency response.

Today, we'll break down the fitness levels required and how to maintain your physical health as an EMT!

Paramedic & EMT Physical Requirements

Emergency response is physically demanding. It's vital that you meet the physical requirements so you can meet the demands and help patients, even when you're under pressure. Your EMT program likely has certain health markers and physical demands you must meet before you start rendering emergency medical services. Even private ambulance services and services to transport patients may have requirements for their workers.

So, what are these requirements? The exact requirements can vary based on the organization, but most medical emergencies call for first responders who can physically meet the demands of the situation. Here are several of the most critical physical requirements for work of this nature.

Strength & Lifting

EMTs and paramedics have to frequently lift patients, equipment and gurneys (and often from awkward positions). Most units' baseline expectation is to lift at least 100 pounds. Some scenarios also require you to work with a partner when lifting heavier objects and maneuvering patients.

Mobility & Endurance

Working with patients as a medical responder involves a lot of bending, kneeling, crouching, and climbing. Mobility and flexibility are essential. Endurance is also a vital EMT requirement-you need good physical stamina to keep up during long (sometimes 12-hour +) shifts.

Balance & Coordination

Balance and coordination may not seem as important as strength, flexibility, and stamina, but they're crucial in a chaotic emergency scene. EMTs and paramedics may need to navigate uneven terrain, climb flights of stairs with heavy equipment, and perform complex medical procedures with dexterity.

Building up your physical health is positive for many reasons. Not only does it help you better serve patients, but it protects you from career-ending injuries. By staying fit and healthy, you're going to prolong your wellbeing so you can keep contributing to the wellbeing of those in your community-and that's what makes EMTs like superheroes!

How to Increase Your Physical Fitness as an EMT

How do you make sure that you're physically up to all the tasks of your EMT job? Whether you're just considering a career as a first responder or maintaining your health on the job, there are several important actions you should be doing regularly.

1. Strength Training

Strength is one of the most stabilizing forces for your body. When you have built proper muscles, you'll counteract stress on your joints and ligaments. Strength training helps to burn fat and build muscle, boosting your metabolism and energy levels.

How to Strength Train: Add weightlifting to your exercise routine several days a week. You'll want to target the major muscle groups in your legs, back, core, and arms. Squats, lunges, deadlifts, and rowing are excellent options for muscle building. Keep in mind, strength training should focus on high reps of low weight-the goal isn't to look like a bodybuilder but rather a fit cross trainer.  Lifting low reps at high weight is what commonly leads to injury.

2. Cardio Conditioning

Working on your cardiovascular health is also very important to doing the job of an EMT. It's your cardiovascular system that helps you to build endurance and energy. Cardio doesn't have to mean running a marathon; even regular walks can be the literal first steps to boosting your mental and physical health.

How to Get Cardio: Build cardio into your schedule around five times weekly for 20–30-minute bursts. Practice regular exercise like running, swimming, or biking. Walking and hiking can also help you build your cardiovascular stamina, so even taking a few walk breaks per day will help.

3. Core Strengthening

Your core is the center of your body-your power source. Much of the strain of lifting, moving, and bending is due to weakness in your core. When your core is strong, you'll be more stable, faster, and less prone to injury.

How to Build Your Core: Consistent planks and crunches are the two most classic core-boosting exercises, but plenty of other moves strengthen your core, too. Yoga, weight training, and even practicing proper posture when sitting can help increase your core strength.

4. Flexibility Work

How is your range of motion? In an emergency response, you're going to be bending, twisting, and reaching all the time-often in a cramped ambulance. It's important that you stay flexible and listen to your body. Stretching shouldn't hurt, but you should gradually progress as you increase your flexibility.

How to Build Flexibility: Yoga and Pilates are two great ways to boost your flexibility. A series of simple stretches and movement routines will increase your range of motion over time. Try to get in 5-10 minutes of stretching each day, with some flexibility training. Even if you aren't into yoga, dynamic stretches like arm circles and hip circles are wonderful ways to improve your mobility.

5. Lifting Technique Practice

If you've heard it once, you've probably heard it a thousand times-lift with your legs, not your back. Yet, when most people are thinking fast in a stressful situation, they bend down and…ouch. Throwing out your back is not only painful, but improper lifting can lead to permanent damage.

How to Practice Lifting: Whenever you lift something heavy, focus on crouching down and using your legs and core for power. Your back should stay straight, and your leg muscles should do a lot of the…well, "heavy lifting." All EMTs should be familiar with proper lifting techniques, so brush up with your crew to make sure you're all avoiding injury.

Taking Care of Yourself So You Can Care for Others

It may sound a little cliché, but it's true-a healthy lifestyle is crucial to your wellbeing. You must take care of your own physical and mental needs so you are able to take care of patients and your time.

A healthy lifestyle includes adequate sleep, a balanced diet, and proper hydration. It also means moving and exercising regularly, listening to your body, and managing stress. Fortunately, the industry is becoming increasingly cognizant of the importance of wellbeing for EMTs. Don't forget to use resources available to you, such as guidance from your EMS agency and pre-employment physical agility tests (PATs).

At LogRx, we can't help you track your physical fitness, but we can help you keep track of your inventory in a simple, effective, and stress-free way. There are a lot of pressures in an EMT job, but keeping track of medications on a paper log shouldn't be one of them.

LogRx simplifies your paperwork routine by allowing you to track controlled substances from your handheld device. Administrators can easily run reports and get an overview of inventory and usage to stay compliant with DEA requirements and other regulations.

When you're focusing on keeping people healthy and safe, it's important to find easy ways to free up your time and focus on the most critical parts of your job. LogRx does just that in a simple but impactful way. It was created by first responders, who understand the importance of streamlining your job. Reach out today to learn more.

Reducing your stress and building your strength and focus will empower you in emergency situations. Stay physically and mentally prepared for the ins and outs of emergency response!

You may also like

Basic EMT Trauma Assessment Scenarios: Gearing Up for Certification

Basic EMT Trauma Assessment Scenarios: Gearing Up for Certification

by logrx-admin | Dec 16, 2024 | EMS, Fire

If you're considering a career as an EMT, you likely know that there's an EMT certification requirement. Should you take your career to the next level and become a paramedic, there's additional licens...

read more
EMS Rig Checks: Best Practices for Rig Checks

EMS Rig Checks: Best Practices for Rig Checks

by logrx-admin | Feb 7, 2023 | EMS

In EMS, rig checks are one of the most crucial practices for the safety of your patients and your team. At the beginning of the shift, your crew must go through their truck and perform...

read more
Connecting Community and EMS: 7 EMS Community Outreach Ideas

Connecting Community and EMS: 7 EMS Community Outreach Ideas

by logrx-admin | Feb 6, 2025 | EMS, Fire, Law Enforcement

EMS professionals are much more than just "first responders"-they are an integral part of the community where they serve. Those community connections are vital for building public trust, improving EMS...

read more
DEA Narcotic Tracking Requirements

DEA Narcotic Tracking Requirements

by logrx-admin | Apr 4, 2023 | EMS, Fire

No matter what industry you work in-EMS, veterinary, wildlife, or another medical field-you likely know that there are DEA narcotic tracking requirements. There are also state and even...

read more
LogRx Presents an Ideal Drug Tracking Solution for Wildlife Professionals

LogRx Presents an Ideal Drug Tracking Solution for Wildlife Professionals

by logrx-admin | Nov 4, 2022 | Wildlife

For wildlife professionals, drug tracking is often time-consuming and even inaccurate, especially when it comes to immobilizing drugs, combinations like BAM, and scheduled drugs like K...

read more
EMS Inventory Management: 7 Best Practices for Keeping Track of Supplies

EMS Inventory Management: 7 Best Practices for Keeping Track of Supplies

by logrx-admin | Jul 1, 2022 | EMS, Fire

Your team gets a call for anaphylaxis, and they jump in their unit to head out. They arrive on the scene and reach for the Benadryl, only to find out it wasn't replenished on the last ...

read more
EMT Off-Duty Response: What You Should Carry Everywhere

EMT Off-Duty Response: What You Should Carry Everywhere

by logrx-admin | Dec 30, 2024 | EMS

Maybe you're driving down the street and see an accident, or you're out for the day, and an announcement comes over a loudspeaker, "Does anyone have medical training?" If you're an EMT or Paramedic, y...

read more
Saving Lives and Staying Strong: EMT/Paramedic Physical Requirements and Fitness Tips

Saving Lives and Staying Strong: EMT/Paramedic Physical Requirements and Fitness Tips

by logrx-admin | Nov 7, 2024 | EMS, Fire

There's an assumption that EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) and paramedics are all in great shape because of the physical requirements of being a first responder. But stress, acces...

read more
Exploring the Inside of an Ambulance: Orienting New EMTs and Paramedics

Exploring the Inside of an Ambulance: Orienting New EMTs and Paramedics

by logrx-admin | Aug 4, 2023 | EMS, Fire

So, you're bringing on a new team member. It's crucial to orient new EMTs and Paramedics to everything on the unit. It's helpful to go through all the different components and ensure t...

read more
Exploring the Most-Used EMT Medications

Exploring the Most-Used EMT Medications

by logrx-admin | Jan 9, 2024 | EMS

When your unit is called to an emergency, it's important to have your complete inventory stocked, but you'll want to be sure you have plenty of the most-used EMS medications on hand. C...

read more
Homeless Addiction Treatment with Buprenorphine/Naloxone: A First Responder Perspective

Homeless Addiction Treatment with Buprenorphine/Naloxone: A First Responder Perspective

by logrx-admin | Feb 1, 2024 | EMS

In the realm of firefighting, where we brave the flames to save lives, a new battlefront has emerged – the intersection of homelessness and addiction. As firefighter/pa...

read more
Narcotics Management is a Team Effort: 5 Ways to Get Your Crew to Embrace New Technology

Narcotics Management is a Team Effort: 5 Ways to Get Your Crew to Embrace New Technology

by logrx-admin | Jan 31, 2023 | Air Transport, EMS, Fire, Law Enforcement, Veterinary, Wildlife

It's a tale as old as time. People resist change, especially when it includes technology and learning new processes. So, when you introduce a new way of tracking controlled substances,...

read more
Narcotic Tracking Under Pressure: 4 Tips for Maintaining Calm as a Paramedic

Narcotic Tracking Under Pressure: 4 Tips for Maintaining Calm as a Paramedic

by logrx-admin | Sep 11, 2023 | EMS, Fire

When the pressure is on in an emergency, you rely on your training and muscle memory to guide you through the proper steps. Controlled substance tracking, maintaining inventory, and ot...

read more
Narcotics Tracking in Veterinary Medicine: Protect Your Practice

Narcotics Tracking in Veterinary Medicine: Protect Your Practice

by logrx-admin | Jul 1, 2022 | Veterinary

There's a need for inventory and prescription drug monitoring in every practice, medical, veterinary, or otherwise. Regulations and rules surrounding narcotics tracking in veterinary m...

read more
Navigating The Modern Recruitment Maze: Overcoming Challenges in Hiring Paramedics

Navigating The Modern Recruitment Maze: Overcoming Challenges in Hiring Paramedics

by logrx-admin | Apr 2, 2024 | EMS

One of the biggest hurdles in today's healthcare landscape is recruitment. With the ever-changing demands of ambulance services and fire departments, this challenge ext...

read more
Navigating the New Virginia Narcotics Tracking Legislation

Navigating the New Virginia Narcotics Tracking Legislation

by logrx-admin | Dec 4, 2024 | EMS

If you live in Virginia or any of the DMV areas, you've likely heard information about the new Virginia narcotics tracking legislation. You might be wondering how it will impact your EMS unit and team...

read more
Navigating the Numbers: EMT/Paramedic Salary

Navigating the Numbers: EMT/Paramedic Salary

by logrx-admin | Oct 24, 2024 | EMS

Whether you want to help people, enjoy a fast pace, or have a talent for keeping a cool head, you might be thinking of a career in Emergency Medicine. Becoming an EMT or paramedic is a...

read more
Preparing for a Successful EMS Audit

Preparing for a Successful EMS Audit

by logrx-admin | May 8, 2023 | EMS

So, you're trying to prepare your EMS agency for an audit. Depending on the type of audit, it can evoke some worry. Audits come in many varieties, but any time an authority assesses yo...

read more
Preventing Drug Diversion with Accountability

Preventing Drug Diversion with Accountability

by logrx-admin | Jan 19, 2023 | Air Transport, EMS, Fire, Law Enforcement, Military, Veterinary, Wildlife

No one likes to think about it but preventing drug diversion is the responsibility of anyone who works with controlled substances. Diversion refers to the illegal misuse and distributi...

read more
Prioritizing the Most Critical: Steps in Effective EMS Triage

Prioritizing the Most Critical: Steps in Effective EMS Triage

by logrx-admin | Aug 7, 2024 | EMS

When you arrive at the scene of any emergency with multiple victims, you likely know that the first step is triage-assess who needs the most urgent, immediate care (not necessarily the...

read more
Projecting Professionalism: Why EMS Uniforms Matter

Projecting Professionalism: Why EMS Uniforms Matter

by logrx-admin | Jan 16, 2025 | EMS

One of the most essential parts of the EMS gear isn't inside your ambulance-it's what you wear on your body when you're on duty. Now, not everyone loves uniforms, and some uniforms don't always put co...

read more
Protect Your Narcotic Lockbox with the Right Tracking

Protect Your Narcotic Lockbox with the Right Tracking

by logrx-admin | Jul 4, 2023 | EMS

The DEA requires secure storage for all controlled substances to protect against misuse and diversion. For most EMS providers, this means a narcotic lockbox on each rig and in the stat...

read more
Protecting Yourself from the Flames: How to Beat EMS Burnout

Protecting Yourself from the Flames: How to Beat EMS Burnout

by logrx-admin | Jul 9, 2024 | EMS

Burnout amongst EMS providers is a harsh reality. Even if you don't feel it all the time, there are points when the stress can become overwhelming. The risk of burnout is high, and str...

read more
7 Reasons Clinic Narcotic Tracking Software is a Crucial Investment

7 Reasons Clinic Narcotic Tracking Software is a Crucial Investment

by logrx-admin | Aug 16, 2023 | Air Transport, EMS, Fire, Law Enforcement, Military, Veterinary, Wildlife

If you're running a medical clinic or even a veterinary clinic, you may assume you don't need to invest in narcotic tracking software. Perhaps your organization is very small, or you o...

read more
10 Signs of Paramedic PTSD

10 Signs of Paramedic PTSD

by logrx-admin | Oct 12, 2023 | EMS, Fire

According to paramedic PTSD statistics, first responders have a much higher rate of traumatic stress than the general population. We all know that burnout can happen, especially in our...

read more
Are You Still Using Controlled Drug Log Sheets in Your Veterinary Practice?

Are You Still Using Controlled Drug Log Sheets in Your Veterinary Practice?

by logrx-admin | Mar 13, 2023 | Veterinary

If you handle narcotics and other restricted schedule drugs in your veterinary practice, you know the importance of keeping controlled drug log sheets. While these sheets are often inc...

read more
Tracking Narcotics on Paper: A Big Problem in EMS

Tracking Narcotics on Paper: A Big Problem in EMS

by logrx-admin | Jul 1, 2022 | EMS, Fire

Your team is treating a critical patient en route to the hospital-scribbling notes on a clipboard or even on a piece of tape on their leg. They must remember everything about the event...

read more
US vs UK EMS: Differences and Similarities in Emergency Response

US vs UK EMS: Differences and Similarities in Emergency Response

by logrx-admin | Oct 18, 2023 | EMS

In the United States, we're used to our standards of providing emergency medical services. So, it's eye-opening when an American first responder goes abroad and does a ride-along with ...

read more
What You Need to Know About the DEA's Drug Schedule

What You Need to Know About the DEA's Drug Schedule

by logrx-admin | Dec 7, 2022 | Air Transport, EMS, Fire, Law Enforcement, Military, Veterinary, Wildlife

For those of us who work in industries where we handle pharmaceuticals, we hear the term "scheduled" a lot. Most of us are familiar with what it means when a drug is scheduled or part ...

read more