I work 36-40 hours a week, as I am sure most of you do. While I'm not the healthiest individual, I try to run 3-4 times a week and am working on strength training.
The key word to all of this is TRY. Half the time I get home from work and crash from exhaustion. Those days that I'm not working, I feel like I need to sleep forever, and even then I don't always feel like I'm up to running.
How do you make it work? How are you working and working out and keeping fit? How are you not exhausted from work? I am open to any suggestions, advice and/or questions!
I'm not a nurse. I'm a professional babysitter/nanny while I'm in school (start my program in Aug) and with the assignment I have right now with twin infants, my shifts only range usually no more than 9.5 hours and nowhere near as stressful as nurse work I'm sure. I used to work 11-12 hour days as a dental assistant at a big corporate office and I know how bone tired you can be after a shift. I thrive off of the energy that my workouts provide. I notice that when I go a few days without the gym, my energy declines and I feel a lot more sluggish. I force myself to work out after work 3-5 times a week. Once I'm there, I perk up and a lot of the pent up tension leaves me. I focus more on strength training than cardio. I sleep a whole lot better when I'm regularly going to the gym. It's just forcing yourself to go when all you want to do is be at home...that's the kicker.
I work out like 6 days a week. I teach bootcamps on the side, heady weight training and do lots of cardio. I literally just did my first (sprint) triathlon today. If I didn't workout I'd be miserable. Right after work I go, sometimes I do some extra stuff at lunch. I also ride my bike all the time.
In the beginning its kind of hard to get started and continue doing it because you'll feel a bit tie but shortly after you'll start to feel like you will have more energy. If its hard for you, get in blasts of exercise when you can, even if its 20 minutes. (you don't have to be a fitness freak or a gym rat!). Do what you need to do.
I highly recommend classes because if you get a good group of people going (bring your coworkers!) your more likely to commit, work harder and stick with it. Take it easy on yourself in the beginning (remember your jut getting started). It never truly gets easier, you just get better.
I do stairs at work - usually one swift jog down 6 flights & and I jog/walk back up. Wakes me up and I don't feel QUITE so bad if I don't get a workout in. We get hour long lunches on nights (one 15 min break & 45 min lunch on days), so half my lunch is eating and half is stairs/recovering from stairs.
I like to do yoga on my days off, or lift weights if I'm feeling really ambitious. I also walk my dogs. I eat nuts, string cheese, Quest bars, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, fruit, PB, chicken, hamburgers without buns, etc. I like to eat light because I get really nauseous working nights. I eat a protein granola bar on my way home, then usually go straight to bed.
I do the same as the first response. I'm up at 4AM and at the gym by 5. I feel like our busiest time is RIGHT in the morning as soon as I get to work and the workout gives me the energy I need to hit the ground running. I actually do better making it to the gym on work days than I do my days off :).
My mother has worked nights for 30+ years- she goes to the gym as soon as she wakes up during the day. It's equivalent to the day workers working out 1st thing in the am in my opinion. She also does not eat overnight, but is not a big eater in general so I don't know that that would be a practical option for most people.
Since I only work 3-4 nights a week, I workout on my days off. I have over an hour commute to work so I don't want to lose any of my sleep time. Which adequate sleep is also important for your health.
I workout on my days off and then I only pack a salad for my "dinner" at work. Sometimes I bring a protein shake if it's only an eight hour shift or as a snack for a twelve hour shift. I find that if I eat a ton of carbs overnight that's when I start to gain weight.
I do HIIT (high intensity interval training) during either my lunch hour or before work and it only takes 30 min or less. There are many different exercises I do that are quick and gets my heart rate up in a short period of time. I'll do squats ,planks ,pushups, & mountain climbers, 3 sets of 30 and I'm done. I also walk 1.5miles to work every morning and end up doing about 13,000 steps throughout the day and about 6-8 miles daily. That is the only way I can keep weight off and try to stay healthy. On my days off I walk a lot or go to the gym. Good luck and hope this helps.
Specializes in Home Health, Mental/Behavioral Health.
I strongly agree, the hardest part would be if you're not a morning person. But nursing can be both physically and mentally exhausting. Most of us who are tryna get back on the health bandwagon would not find working out after work to stress relief as much as seen as an extra chore which just turns you off. After you get into a routine of doing it before work, you never know, it could start to become one of those things you crave, and could be a great after work de-winder.
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Erythropoiesis
305 Posts
I'm not a nurse. I'm a professional babysitter/nanny while I'm in school (start my program in Aug) and with the assignment I have right now with twin infants, my shifts only range usually no more than 9.5 hours and nowhere near as stressful as nurse work I'm sure. I used to work 11-12 hour days as a dental assistant at a big corporate office and I know how bone tired you can be after a shift. I thrive off of the energy that my workouts provide. I notice that when I go a few days without the gym, my energy declines and I feel a lot more sluggish. I force myself to work out after work 3-5 times a week. Once I'm there, I perk up and a lot of the pent up tension leaves me. I focus more on strength training than cardio. I sleep a whole lot better when I'm regularly going to the gym. It's just forcing yourself to go when all you want to do is be at home...that's the kicker.