does working as a nurse count as exercise?

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.

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.

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!

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

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

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

Hmph!!

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

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.

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.

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

I definitly think so. I used to wear a pedometer to work and in a course of a 12 hr shift I would walk a mile and a half. I have been out of work for 4 months and have gained 15 pounds!!! So, I would consider nursing exercise.