does working as a nurse count as exercise?

Published

I was curious, are there any studies showing hospital nursing improves health due to physical activity (minus effects of stress!)? i.e. does it count for weight bearing for bones? collateral circulation due to moving around enough? general cardio health from all the walking and activity?

I haven't been able to find anything from searching. everything yields nurses talking about exercise.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, IICU, PCU, PACU, EMS.

I'm not aware of any studies, however, I know many of the nurses I work with have either back, knee, or foot problems or a combination! It's hard on the body and that is without taking the stress into consideration.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surge, Private Duty Peds.

not sure of any studies, but many of my coworkers suffer from leg, knee, back problems. super hard on the body especially those 12hr shifts. plus the stress is not included, along with no breaks, no lunch/dinner, barely time to take a pee-break. so not really sure nursing could be called positive with benefits type exercise! just my thoughts.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro trauma ICU, Flight Nurse.

So, interesting little tidbit. I bought a body bugg monitor several months ago. This cute little device measures your calorie expenditure based on skin temperature and movement. It's accuracy is supposed to be pretty good. On a lazy day off when I'm closely monitoring the couch, I expend about 1200 calories a day. On a normal day off, where I'm moving around and going to the gym, etc, I burn between 1600 and 1800 calories a day. On any given day at work - and bear in mind that I'm an ICU nurse, we don't move around nearly as much as the floor nurses - I burn 2300 calories a day without any extra effort or a trip to the gym. This was extremely consistant, to the point that I didn't need my body bugg after a month because I knew exactly what it was going to say at the end of a day. So, yeppers, your shift counts as a workout!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

you think it would. i must walk 5 miles a day or more during a 12 hour shift. i often wondered this question myself.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I used to wear a pedometer on my 12 hour shifts and many days I was well over 10 miles, especially if I had to monitor my patients to CT or MRI.

otessa

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

Not according to my cardiologist...because it's stop and go walking :(

Hmph!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

We are probably a bit fitter than the totally sedentary workers at any rate. I don't have to pay for a gym membership.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.
Not according to my cardiologist...because it's stop and go walking :(

Hmph!!

Exactly. While it may count as physical activity that burns calories, it does not count as sustained aerobic activity that promotes cardiorespiratory health.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

That may be true..........but even some movement helps, especially if you're a former desk jockey and sofa spud like me. I've lost 20 pounds in the last few months without even trying, thanks to my new floor-nursing job in LTC, and people tell me I look like I've lost more than that because ALL of my scrubs are too big now. So I don't think anyone should dismiss the physical work we do as nurses, what with all the walking and lifting involved........it's gotten this 50-year-old body back into better shape than I've been in for years.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I also have many co-workers with back, knee, and foot problems.

I work on a pretty busy surgical/telemetry unit and one of the nurses I work with wears a pedometer on her ankle and on one of her 8-hr night shifts she walked a total of 5 miles.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Well, there are those programs that count steps. I guess steps at work would count also.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion