Texas A&M Commerce studies RLEA’s physical training

CAPCOG’s Regional Law Enforcement Academy (RLEA) is the first police academy to participate in a voluntary Texas A&M Commerce study about the health benefits of fitness programs for peace officers, so they can better understand the role fitness plays in their overall health and wellness through the data collected by the university. Cadets in CAPCOG’s current nighttime and daytime basic peace officer courses (BPOC) are participating in the study which includes collecting data throughout the course.

“Overall fitness, not just muscle mass and strength, is important for officers to stay healthy but also can improve their ability to do their job,” said Sergio Flores, CAPCOG’s RLEA chief instructor. “A number of factors can contribute to an officer’s poor health including eating quickly between calls, irregular sleep schedules, and not having the opportunity to routinely exit a squad vehicle. By participating in the A&M study and increasing CAPCOG’s fitness training, we are hoping to educate future officers on how they can maintain their fitness while on the job.”

As part of the study, Texas A&M Commerce tested participating cadets at the beginning of the BPOCs for their range of motion, power, strength, flexibility, core strength, hand grip and more. They then showed the cadets some of their problem areas and provided CAPCOG with exercises to improve them. In conjunction with A&M exercises, CAPCOG started a daily 30-minute to an hour physical training program within the BPOC. A&M will return to CAPCOG towards the end of the BPOCs to retest the cadets in the exact same areas allowing them to see their improvements.

CAPCOG hopes to continue this voluntary partnership through future BPOCs. Its next BPOC is scheduled to begin in February 2022.

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