How to fit in workouts?!

Jayj180894

I work 12 hour shifts. 8-8 Come home shower, cook tea, eat tea and by that time it is 10-10:30 and I'm back up at 6:30am. I just don't know how people fit in a workout after work! I know I could prep my tea a days I am off but I love freshly cooked food! I do workout on my days off but shift pattern is over 2 weeks and is work 2 days, off for 3, work 2 days, off for 2, work 3 days, off for 2. and so forth. I just find working out 3 days in a row hard and I don't feel like I get a break from work or workouts! I work in supported living BTW. Not that, that matters. Any ideas I could cram a work out or 2 in my days at work but not be extremely tired from it?

TayaCurragh

If you're losing weight without working out on those days, I personally wouldn't worry. Is your job active?

If you do want to fit extra work in, could you do it whilst cooking? If it needs to simmer on the hob or in the oven you could try and fit a short workout in.

Viking_Dad

If you work out on days off 1 and 3, then on either day of your next two breaks, that averages to 2 workouts per week and will save you from having to squeeze one in
during your work shifts.

kshama2001

I'm active every day, but I don't lift weights three days in a row. Do something different the middle day off?

Are you a nurse or have another job where you get in a lot of steps during the day? If so, I wouldn't worry about exercising during your work days.

If not, how much time do you get for lunch? Can you be active during that time? I've done dozens of different things to be active during my lunch break, and it really improves the rest of the day.

sijomial

What does "workout" actually mean to you?
Weights? Cardio? Both?
Same workout and same intensity every time you train?

Consecutive days training doesn't have to be the same type of training, same intensity every day or same body parts every day.
e.g. if your workout is weights you could do a push/pull/legs split or many other options.

Like many other people I tend to do some type of training every day (being retired helps!) but I don't do the same thing every day, the same intensity or same volume every day but without knowing more about your training and your goals it's hard to make specific suggestions.

May not be possible for you but when I did 12.5 hour shifts with a long commute I did a lot of my exercise in my meal breaks.

callsitlikeiseeit

you dont have to workout to lose weight. it has numerous other benefits though.

you could take a walk during lunch, a quickie one during breaks, or workout before work. do it only on your days off. whatever works best for you.

JBanx256

I also work 12-hour shifts (also rotating between days & nights, either 6a-6p or 6p-6a) on a 2-2-3 schedule. I train before work regardless of whether that's day shift or night shift. My workouts are a priority for me. Am I tired? Sure. If I need a day off from the gym I take it, but generally I feel better (and believe I work better - head in the game) if I stick to it. Overall I generally train 5-6 days per week (also a mom & all that jazz). It's not easy but it's doable.

quiksylver296

I fit workouts in better when I do them in the morning, before work. Too tired after.

FitAgainBy55

Like others, I'm curious what your current workouts are ? It seems like your workouts are causing some fatigue, so maybe you aren't alternating types of workouts like you should. While I'm tired immediately after a hard workout, it doesn't persist more than 30 minutes -- I find later in the day I'm more energized and alert, not fatigued. The only exception to this are monster long runs when I was training for endurance races -- I'm assuming this isn't applicable in this case.

The only consistent routine I've managed is when I've worked out before work. This is the only time I'm in control of my schedule. I would just recommend getting up 30 minutes earlier and performing a short workout on your work days and then schedule your longer/harder workouts on your days off. If needed you can also use one or two of your workdays as a rest day and still reach your goal of workouts per week.

DancingMoosie

I've gotten in to the habit of getting up early before work every day to workout. If I had 3 days off, I'd take advantage of it! First day lift, 2nd day cardio, 3rd day lift. I don't take any days off from working out, but I do different types of workouts each day. You do need to build up gradually, but I think your schedule allows for that. If you get a lunch break, you could take a short walk.

Safari_Gal_

Jayj180894 wrote: »

I work 12 hour shifts. 8-8 Come home shower, cook tea, eat tea and by that time it is 10-10:30 and I'm back up at 6:30am. I just don't know how people fit in a workout after work! I know I could prep my tea a days I am off but I love freshly cooked food! I do workout on my days off but shift pattern is over 2 weeks and is work 2 days, off for 3, work 2 days, off for 2, work 3 days, off for 2. and so forth. I just find working out 3 days in a row hard and I don't feel like I get a break from work or workouts! I work in supported living BTW. Not that, that matters. Any ideas I could cram a work out or 2 in my days at work but not be extremely tired from it?

@Jayj180894 I’ve started doing yoga in the morning as a way to focus and stay limber.

What if upon rising you used a few minutes to stretch it out and plank? It’s not much .. but you could see what else you could incorporate. 10 minutes in the morning to get the blood pumping is a start.

mpkpbk2015

If you have 15 minutes when you get up and want a quick cardio workout try this one I use it on busy weeks when I have no time to workout longer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvmaekQfKiw

age_is_just_a_number

FitOn is a free app that has a variety of short workouts.

ninerbuff

Keep your workouts short. Overall body for like 30 minutes. And yes it can be done cause the majority of my clients are 30 minute sessions and we do full body all the time with most coming in 2 times a week.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

yirara

How long is your commute? Two hours from end of work to end of dinner sounds like a very long time, but maybe you can't do anything there due to a long commute. I understand wanting to eat fresh food. But just some thoughts: can you find recipes you like that can be prepped and cooked within 30 minutes, and keep more extensive cooking to the weekend? Maybe cook for two days, and just warm up the leftovers on day two, add freshly cooked rice and pasta and you're done. If you can do so before dinner then maybe try to fit a workout in there, and then shower, or shower after dinner. What about working out during your lunch break? Or doing a few bodyweight exercises during cooking? But whatever you decide: working out is not really necessary for losing weight. Thus you don't need to.

hesn92

I would just focus on getting more activity in throughout the day. I assume you do a lot of walking already. I do a short-ish yoga practice in the evening after I put my kids to bed.

SYS15

I had a similar schedule in University - full time student and work and I was out of the house 12-14 hours a day. I had a surgeon ask my fitness routine and I said I didn't have time.
He then said, "If I have time, you can make time. Let's both do it."
I never forgot that, and I use that to motivate me when I'm feeling like I don't have time. It makes me feel better to work out, I changed my mindset of seeing it as a joy instead of a chore. I look forward to it at the end of my workday that I get impatient around 2pm. It takes awhile to change the mindset, but it's worth it.