The Science Behind FRY The Method for First Responders
A list of Research supporting each of the element belonging to FRY The Method for First Responders.
FRY Canada conducted:
- Qualitative interviews of First Responders across the 3 services (Fire, Police, Paramedic) and Dispatch; and
- Literature review of mind-body injuries of First Responders
in 2018 and 2021 as preliminary investigation in the development of FRY The Method and FRY The APP.
The book “F.R.Y. First Responders’ Yoga. The BOOK” is the culmination of these interviews and literature reviews paired with fitness training, advanced yoga education and direct experience as First Responders.
https://www.frycanada.com/books/
What FRY Canada heard from First Responders:
There is no time for self-care after shift with home life and personal responsibilities;
- They cannot follow regular weekly classes due to their erratic shifts; and
- There is no ONE source they may go to for their energetic workouts, stretching, meditation, relaxation, mindfulness or other stress relief techniques NOR are they specific to First Responder needs.
https://www.frycanada.com/individual-first-responders/
Generalizable Mindfulness-Based Strategies for First Responders
Generalizable Mindfulness-Based Strategies for First Responders such as Large and Deep Exhale, Diaphragmatic Breathing, Progressive Relaxation, Mindfulness Imagery increase self-awareness, lead to “decentering” (a non-identified awareness of the experiences whose consequence is a reduction of emotional reactivity), promote intentional responses, enhance self-compassion, and ultimately decrease suffering.
The mind-body interventions have been shown to directly promote First Responders’ mental and physical health while providing increased resilience when facing work-related stressors.
Strategies for First Responders Mental Health
A scoping review was conducted using the PubMed database (1966 to October 1, 2020) and the Google Scholar database (October 1, 2020) found:
- Strategies for supporting mental health and well-being need to be implemented early in the First Responder career and reinforced throughout and into retirement (Begin in training).
- They should utilize holistic approaches which encourage “reaching in” rather than placing an onus on First Responders to “reach out” when they are in crisis. (Develop a supportive community in good times to be there in the bad times).
Breathwork:
Yogic breathing is a unique method for balancing the autonomic nervous system and influencing psychologic and stress-related disorders. Mechanisms contributing to a state of calm alertness include increased parasympathetic drive, calming of stress response systems, neuroendocrine release of hormones, and thalamic generators – a set of neurons in the thalamus that sets up a clear rhythm in a related cortical area (due to breathwork).
Functional Movement:
- Functional fitness improvements after a worksite-based yoga initiative (Firefighters). Improvements were noted in trunk flexibility and perceived stress. Participants also reported favorable perceptions of yoga: feeling more focused and less musculoskeletal pain.
- Mindfulness-Based Stretching and Deep Breathing Exercise reduce the prevalence of PTSD-like symptoms in individuals exhibiting subclinical features of PTSD.
- Therapeutic yoga is defined as the application of yoga postures and practice to the treatment of health conditions and involves instruction in yogic practices and teachings to prevent, reduce or alleviate structural, physiological, emotional and spiritual pain, suffering or limitations. Results from this study show that yogic practices enhance muscular strength and body flexibility, promote and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, promote recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of life.
- Pre-to-post-yoga sessions, levels of positive emotions (engagement, tranquility and revitalization) increased while exhaustion decreased.
Complementary Therapies in Medicine Volume 49, March 2020, 102354 Exploring how different types of yoga change psychological resources and emotional well-being across a single session
Relaxation:
- Relaxation training and yoga most effectively reduced anxiety symptoms among older adults. Furthermore, the impact of some relaxation interventions remained in effect for between 14 and 24 weeks after the interventions.
- Relaxation is as effective as cognitive and behavioural therapies in the treatment of anxiety disorders.
- Research suggests that common forms of relaxation training, such as Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Meditation, Breathing exercises, and Visualization can help individuals reduce stress, enhance relaxation states, and improve overall well-being. The study below examined three different, commonly used approaches to stress relaxation: Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Deep Breathing, and Guided imagery that are all part of FRY The Method. The result is that those techniques promote both psychological and physiological states of relaxation, offering a head-to-head comparison of stress-reduction strategies.
Positive Affirmations / Neuroplasticity:
Positive statements that can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts, brief phrases, repeated frequently, which are designed to encourage positive, happy feelings, thoughts, and attitudes and set goals.
Self-affirmations have been shown to:
- Decrease health-deteriorating stress (Sherman et al., 2009; Critcher & Dunning, 2015).
or you can read:
or you can read this Link 2
- Create an adaptive, broad sense of self which makes us more resilient to difficulties when they arise
Minakshi Rana. Positive Affirmations and its Benefits on Psychological Well-Being
- Lower stress and rumination (Koole et al., 1999; Wiesenfeld et al., 2001)
or you can read this Link 2
- Improve problem-solving under stress
- Exhibit significant positive correlation to feelings of hopefulness and promote adaptive coping, goal achievement, and better health
or read Link 2
Mindfulness:
- Mindfulness Training Improves Quality of Life and Reduces Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Among Police Officers
or read Link 2
- Mindfulness training with First Responders leads to increased resilience and reduced burnout
- FRY Interview with Neurologist Gus Castellanos “The Benefits of Mindfulness for First Responders” – 2022
https://www.frycanada.com/video-registration/#NeurologistMindfulnessForFirstResponders
Meditation:
- Meditation practices may impact physiological pathways that are modulated by stress and relevant to disease. Specifically, engagement in compassion meditation may reduce stress-induced immune and behavioral responses.
- Meditation increases grey matter and this benefit is part of the underlying neurological correlate of long-term meditation independent of a specific style and practice
Workplace Health Initiatives:
