Tyson Beach

Research & Development Lead, PR

Background

Tyson has been a proud member of the Performance Redefined team since the organization was formed. Most of his work happens “behind the scenes” where he contributes to the research and development of education and training materials. Tyson has collaborated with Dr. Frost on several research projects focused on advancing the science and practice of movement screening, assessment, and (re)training for health and performance. He had the privilege of working with several fire departments during these projects and was afforded extraordinary opportunities by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) to integrate research into their existing initiatives. Although it wasn’t obvious at the time, this early work was instrumental in forming the foundation of the F2T program. Tyson learns much more from fire fighters than he could ever teach them. As someone who cherishes learning, he is grateful that his work with fire fighters enables him to assume the role of student.

Apart from Tyson’s work with Performance Redefined, he teaches university courses on the theory and practice of movement assessment, exercise prescription, biomechanics, and low-back disorders. At the university, he also serves on graduate student research advisory and examination committees and contributes to designing, implementing, and evaluating community outreach programs.

Activity Habits

Tyson is an active commuter and has the flexibility at work to ingest short “movement snacks” at relatively regular intervals during the day. He also walks with family before and after work from Monday to Friday, and hikes with them most weekends. In addition, he engages in structured exercise daily, which includes resistance training (3-4 sessions/week) and endurance training (3-4 sessions/week). Tyson has learned through experience and research that engaging in a daily movement practice is vital for his health and wellbeing. He uses physical activity as a tool to manage and overcome life stressors, to spend time with his family and friends, and most importantly, to make him feel and be at his best. Tyson considers his life circumstances to be incredibly fortunate. He has supportive family and friends, a home gym, access to exercise facilities at work, and lives within walking distance from his office. Yet, even with all these advantages and more (see above), he must schedule time and devote additional resources to achieve the levels of physical activity he wants and needs. His biggest challenge is that his roles and responsibilities at home and work compete for time, attention, and energy.

Perspectives on F2T and fire fighter wellness and fitness

In Tyson’s opinion, the F2T program is unique because it integrates best evidence and practices from health, behavioral, pedagogical, and implementation sciences. It has been effectively co-designed by researchers, educators, trainers, and fire fighters through the support provided to Performance Redefined by the IAFF. These factors make the F2T program one-of-a-kind. For Tyson, the value of the program certainly lies in its ability to cultivate health and wellness benefits for members. However, he believes the F2T program can be more than a physical activity promotion program for fire fighters. Going through the process of learning and implementing core F2T program tenets can also serve as a vehicle to positively impact fire department culture. It can do this by facilitating engagement of and collaboration between stakeholders throughout F2T program planning, implementation, and monitoring. This would not only reinforce positive attitudes, practices, and social norms regarding fire fighter health and wellness, but would also have the potential to strengthen relations between stakeholders and serve as a catalyst to pursue other shared priorities.

The one word Tyson would use to describe the value of wellness and fitness for fire fighters is transformative. He is hesitant to offer advice to fire fighters, as reasons for investing in health, fitness, and wellness are personal. But, if asked, he would encourage them to reflect on the people, activities, experiences, etc. that are important to them, and consider the associated implications of being (un)healthy, (un)fit, or (un)well. Depending on their reaction, he might also add that small investments can yield remarkably large returns, especially for people who have invested the least. Then, he would ask if there was anything he could do to help!

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