Too tired from work to workout

emjam99

The last 3 nights I've been working late in a restaurant and it's been to about midnight and 1am. I'm sore and I ache too just do to being on my feet, busy, and the physical demands. I know if I'm tired I should take it easy, but I didn't work out yesterday and I haven't been putting in the most effort to my work outs lately and i don't want to lose the strength and stamina I've built up. What should I do?

Penthesilea514

I pretty much won't exercise after work- I just want to go home, put on PJs, eat dinner, and veg. I will do it in the morning, before work (I get up around 5:10am to do so). On those days, I don't really know the rest of your schedule, but is it possible to do it beforehand? Or if you are doing more walking then you are used to, maybe look at your steps (if you have a fitbit or app that counts them). If this is a longer term change, you may need to workout ahead of time. If this is a short-term thing, maybe monitor your activity- a week or so of so much walking shouldn't set you back too much.

Muana1005

How attached are you to this job? Can you find another one that gives you more time?

dopeysmelly

If you want to fit in a workout, you need to sit down and schedule it in around your other committments. Sounds like you should schedule it in for the mornings on the days you have to work late. It's easier if you write it down somewhere rather than just try and remember. On very busy days, I schedule it in as an appointment in my phone.

dark_sparkles37019

I workout before work around 9-10 am and go to work at 330 pm.

quiksylver296

Do it before work?

jemhh

Right, I would say before work too. Go home, go to bed, get up in the morning, and exercise.

slaite1

Agree with the previous posters, do it in the morning.

Is this a normal schedule for you? You said you've built up strength and stamina, and that it's only been three late days. When my schedule gets crazy I try to do modified workouts, or I will skip them if needed. Don't burn yourself out if you're already doing more than you're accustomed to (i.e. Working doubles or something like that). A few days off of your workouts will not undo all of your hard work.

choppie70

I work about 60 hours a week. I am on my feet all day. I get about 15K steps at work alone. I had to make time for meaningful exercise. I found that I was tired when I got home, but when I exercised, it gave me the extra energy to do my nightly tasks - packing lunches, doing laundry, doing dishes, cooking, etc.

If you are too tired to workout after work, then do it before. My husband worked 3rd shift for 10 years and he would exercise with me about 6pm, then go to work @ 8:30pm. Now that he works 1pm - 10pm, he works out in the morning after he gets our daughter on the bus.

2plebeian

choppie70 wrote: »

I work about 60 hours a week. I am on my feet all day. I get about 15K steps at work alone. I had to make time for meaningful exercise. I found that I was tired when I got home, but when I exercised, it gave me the extra energy to do my nightly tasks - packing lunches, doing laundry, doing dishes, cooking, etc.

If you are too tired to workout after work, then do it before. My husband worked 3rd shift for 10 years and he would exercise with me about 6pm, then go to work @ 8:30pm. Now that he works 1pm - 10pm, he works out in the morning after he gets our daughter on the bus.

With my job, studies, and research, I'm also occupied for a good 60 hours a week. It's a bit crazy to fit in good workouts in between I've noticed. The 15k steps a day are really good, because at least you'll burn enough calories throughout the day by moving around. I usually do my own workouts on my day off (Tuesday, which is a day I work at home), on Thursdays after I'm done teaching, and on Saturday or Sunday, depending on which day I have no other work/studies/research related obligations. Since my commutes are fairly long (2-3, sometimes 4 hours a day), I also "miss out" on a lot of those hours (can't really be working out while driving...).

Short: plan it according to your schedule; allow yourself for 3 2-3 hour periods throughout the week in which you can do good workouts.

crb426

Maybe try to just do a quick workout on those days. A 10 minute cardio will help you feel better than the guilt of doing nothing. I also agree that try to squeeze it in before work.

Okiludy

I was having similar issues. After work I just want to sit down and veg out. I did as others here are encouraging. I now wake up an hour and a half earlier and work out at 5:30am. No traffic at that time makes commutes a breeze and no cars make the air much better on cardio workouts.

Only real downside so far is I fall asleep earlier, but doesn't really matter if all I want to do is veg.