Working out/exercising while in nursing school

[Vincent_]

Hey everyone,

I hope there are plenty of nursing students/current nurses out there that are just as enthusiastic about fitness as I am. I live in Brooklyn, nyc, and this year I am planning to apply to accelerated programs. I was wondering if doing this is feasible? Perhaps cutting down workout volume would be necessary in order to get optimal rest and study times..especially for clinical days. Time manage is essential in healthcare..

Any opinions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

-Vince

[Vincent_]

whoa thanks so much for the response guys! I apologize for a late reply. I got back from the Philippines around May and it feels good to be back. Now time to start gathering rec letters and prepare nursing school applications. I usually lift weights 4x a week. I do M, T, Th, F. I typically focus on compound movements and some swings/cleans/military pressing with kettlebells. I think focusing more on the compound movements and some HIIT stuff will definitely save time if I get into a nursing program. I was just a bit questionable about the 'quality' of the workout after a clinical day. But I appreciate all of your guys comments. I'll have to just adjust the parameters based on how the week goes or how I feel on a given day when i'm in the program.

@veggie530 that sounds like a great idea to decrease the volume to 3x a week if the week gets too busy.

@Jmtagg623 aha yeah that sounds rough to work out as early as 4am then jump to clinicals. I typically don't take pre-workouts. i usually have a small cup of tea and some water or a small cup of coffee before a workout. I've heard things about adrenal fatigue and well I'd like to save the caffeine consumption for the nursing classes or study times if need be! haha. But if C4 or coffee works then I guess it's no problem..everything in moderation right?

[crossfitnurse]

Just keep in mind that you make your own priorities. Some students want social time and make partying or "going out" the priority with the free time. Not me:) haha! My free time and "me time" is my workout time. I love it:)

You know what else I've done?

I would workout and test myself at the same time. So if I'm lifting, I would answer a practice question or review some info and test my self on some between sets:)

It worked when it came time for my respiratory lecture test!!!! :) planning on doing that again this semester!

[Philly_LPN_Girl, LPN]

Exercise for 1 hour a day if possible. Exerising is healthy and beneficial as well. It helps keep stress levels down, sleep good, gives you energy, less tired, and it helps you think faster and better by increasing your O2 levels.

[Cohiba]

Though it wasn't ideal (as much as I HATE running, nothing's quite as effective for me to keep weight off...), I spent a lot of time on the bikes, preferably the recumbent type, at the gym during school. The ones at the gym nearest my apt had bookrests on the console so I could set a textbook there and read/study while pedaling and I figure that was a good thing since if I was going to be sitting and reading, at least I could double-task and get some exercise at the same time. Before cardio I'd also do 40-50 pull-ups just to get some multiple-joint resistance training in but probably 90% of my gym time was on the bike.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

What is this "exercise" of which you speak?

[mclennan, BSN, RN]

Yes, I want to know more of this strange phenomenon too, it is but only myth and legend in my realm

[bloodorange]

I'm hoping to get some exercise and avoid parking drama by riding my bike to class as much as possible. Might even get me more elbow room in lecture if no one wants to sit next to the sweaty chick

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day:

I try to wake up early every day; right now for my summer courses, 6:00 AM works best. As quickly as I can get outside, I'm outside walking for a minimum of 30 minutes per day. Over time, I try to increase my pace (I'm currently up to 4.5 miles per hour) as well as vary the direction of the walk.

The school I'm attending does require all students (no matter their major) to take a 1 credit physical education course; so one of my summer courses is fitness walk / resistance train (it is a combination lecture, including tests as well as lab which is the actual exercise). So that adds on 30 to 60 additional minutes of exercise twice a week in addition to my walking schedule.

I find that walking early in the morning works out great as it is cooler, calmer, and it gives me time to pray, think things through, and relax.

Thank you.

[kkernagh]

I am a second year nursing student, and also like to achieve the same. I have had a hard time incorporating it into my busy schedule, and finding that its hard to get the motivation as the semester progresses. I suggest creating smaller goals for yourself such as yoga, and circuits that you can do in shorts amount of time. I also suggest these to help with the anxiety and stress of the program as well.

[katikati]

sprints! after each day I would sprint as fast as I could like maybe 5-10 times. Each morning I would do 20 push ups. I did end up gaining weight, but its all worth it- you will exercise it off when it is all done. Come NCLEX study time I did Orange Theory ( 1 hr intense class). Mind you I was also working part time, so you can handle some exercise some way.

[missnursingstudent19]

I've gotten really into exercising lately! I walk on a treadmill usually for about 40 minutes a day. I won't start my nursing program until the Fall, but my plan then will be to just work out when I can. I'll take advantage of the weekends which will probably be less busy. Another thing is that if you are using a treadmill or other exercise equipment, you can try reading or watching videos or something to study while you work out. It'd probably also help if you had some workout equipment at home so you could save time by eliminating the need to go to the gym.