(68) An Exploratory Investigation of Police Recruit Movement Limitations using the Overhead Squat Assessment

Introduction: Police officers are required to perform physically demanding tasks as part of their job and may also develop poor postural habits due to prolonged periods of sedentary work, which can increase their risk of injury. Despite this, there is limited research on the movement patterns of police recruits. Therefore, this preliminary data is part of a larger study investigating movement patterns, functional limitations, and risk of potential injuries.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate recruit movement. Understanding these movement patterns is crucial in identifying limitations and developing effective training programs to optimize their physical abilities and reduce the risk of injury.

Methods: A total of 350 recruits (overall weight of 87.1 ± 15.4 kg, height of 1.78 ± 0.08m, and age of 27.3 ± 6.3 years, Mean ± SD) were assessed. Body composition was evaluated using BIA (17.9 ± 9.7% body fat). The cadets were tested for their overhead squat mobility according to NASM guidelines.

Results: With the overhead squat, the highest fault rates were observed for ankle tightness markers, with foot turns out at 58.9%, foot flattens at 56.0%, and heel rises off the ground at 31.6%. Hip tightness markers were also observed in approximately one-third of cadets, with 35.9% presenting with excessive forward lean  and 30.2% presenting with lumbar excessive arch. For shoulder faults, the arms fell forward in 36.8% of the recruits. The average total faults for the recruits was 3.67 ± 2.88 out of a potential 12 faults.

Conclusion: Understanding typical recruit movement limitations can help instructors and tactical strength and conditioning coaches to devise more effective training strategies to address limitations that may impede performance.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Recruits display a typical pattern of movement dysfunction, including tight ankles, hip flexors, and shoulder limitations that should be addressed through warm-up, cool-downs, and corrective exercises. These findings can help inform the development of effective training programs for police recruits to optimize their movement patterns.
 

Acknowledgements: None