Police are being encouraged to put down the doughnuts and pick up the pedal bike after their first Bermuda Police Service Wellness Day.

And one of the first to volunteer yesterday was Police Commissioner Mike DeSilva who had his blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels checked and a prostate blood test conducted by the Bermuda Hospitals Board.

Mr. DeSilva said the initiative was part of a goal to increase the health and wellness of the Bermuda Police Service this year.

He said: "The Police community is coming up with different things to keep fit, like the walking club and refitting the gym. The gym is equipped for body building and weightlifting so they are putting more cardio machines in there.

"It's not major shifts, but over the course of the year it's doing small things for officers to change their lifestyles and to make more lasting changes."

For their first staff wellness day, officers could have their "actual" age determined through blood pressure screenings, glucose tests, blood sugar tests, weight/body index, bone density, and their resting heart rate.

The Bermuda Heart Foundation was also present to offer support and give two presentations called: "Eating with your heart in mind".

Superintendent James Holland, who heads the Health and Safety Committee and the Health and Wellness Committee, said the initiative was important because after the first three years in the Service officers' fitness was no longer monitored.

He now hopes officers will keep their health information sheets created yesterday and return in four months for a follow-up and see how they did with reducing their "actual" age statistics. He added: "Obviously this information is confidential but will give us an idea of what the Service looks like. It's part of the policing plan that deals with people.

"But what we want is not to just look at your fitness. We have to be concerned about the total wellness: how to manage stress, how much rest you need, how much food you eat."

Stress and the officers' mental health is something Doris DeCosta, the Police welfare officer, hopes the health day will highlight. She said: "It's really to take care of the Police. Health, mental health, really the whole gambit. I think one of the things as welfare was to include wellness in it.

"Of course by default it's a stressful occupation and with the increase in violence there is going to be an increase in stress.

"I think today is a good idea for the Police to look at self-care issues and doing what's needed to stay employed."