Help Me!

mobtownRN

Hey guys,
Back on MFP after not really getting into it before. I hope and pray this time I can stay motivated and find great friends for this long haul journey.
I need help with exercise. I am 24, 215 pounds. I am a night shift nurse who works 12+ hours 3-4x's a week. My nights are usually hectic and pulling on patients all night long is tiring.
I would love some help getting started with the exercising. My ultimate goal is to be able to take care of my patients the best I can without getting tired:( As of now, I am a couch potato when i'm not at work.
What is something simple to start off with the build my stamina? Just need some ideas of how to push through the tiredness of working an understaffed 12 hour shift to be able to take care of myself.. then relay that on during my off days. Any ideas and encouragement would be absolutely wonderful!
Thanks.

jetinder

One of my main motivations was simply walking whilst listening to podcasts, catching up on things that usually pass me by whilst I sat in front of the TV. Now you barely see me in the house when I'm not working.

More recently, I've taken to looking for exercises that I can still do in front of the TV without equipment (medicine ball, bodyweight exercises or swiss ball type activities).

Feel free to ask if you have any questions.

jet

mohawkRN

I definitely agree with the podcasts - they're what get me through my long runs. Also, do you have an iPad? I bring mine to the gym and watch shows while I'm on the treadmill (or any tablet, I guess).

But seriously, how much do you love your job? Can you switch jobs or hours? I'm asking this as a nurse who worked those BRUTAL twelve hour shifts for years (seems like such a good deal - four days off every week? until you realize it takes you a full day to recover from a shift).

Take heart - more daylight is coming! That should help, I hope. The thing is, right now, it might be hard to get off of that couch and exercise, but I promise you, once you start, you will start to feel great and your energy will increase, both during your shifts and during those days after. Start slowly - just walk for a couple of minutes after work - and build your way up to more exercise.

Also, the healthier you eat, the better you'll feel and the more energy you'll have. Just give it a couple of weeks, and even if the weight doesn't come off as quickly as you'd like it to, you WILL feel better, and it will make those long night shifts easier, at least a little bit!

maybeazure

If weather permits, take a walk before your shift...before you get tired. Don't try to exercise too much at first. In the beginning, even half an hour might seem overwhelming, so shoot for 10 minutes. Eventually you'll need to increase it, but don't worry about that now.

On your days off, try to do something kind of active, even walking around the mall.

It sounds like your job is pretty active though...you might get a fibit or a bodymedia device. Those would let you know how much exercise you are getting at work. I've found that just wearing the thing makes me exercise more, because it gets to be kind of like a game...how many calories can I burn in a day, etc.

rdtraci

Sounds like you need a workout that you will enjoy and look forward too. Work gets stressful and you don't need more "work" when you get home. I found that I enjoy cardio workouts that are kinda like dance. A few of my favorites are Hip Hop Abs and Turbo Fire. It's worth checking out!

WhiteRabbit1313

I hate cardio, but I've gotten into weightlifting, which I love. It sounds like you might benefit from endurance training with weights. You might check out Starting Strength (a book you can get on Amazon) to start, then check into what routine (Rep/sets) that you need to do to build Stamina. Different Rep ranges are supposed to benefit your body in different ways.

Anyway, check it out and see if it's something you'd like to do. Good luck!