night shifters WHEN do you workout?

flatbellybella
flatbellybella Posts: 303 Member
I work 12s and my schedule is so I have 2 on 2 off. 3 on 2 off then 2 on 3 off (every other weekend I work). I also rotate nights and days... 2 and 1/2 weeks each. Now that that's down... lol

I was just wondering when those who do strictly nights.. work out? Before work? or before you go home after work?

My first night I workout during the day before I go in... which means I'm pretty much up for 24 hrs... the next day I sleep... then the next day I workout. My last shift 3/3 I go home sleep.... then workout since I'm off after. I'm confused :ohwell:

Anyways,
what does everyone else do?

I thought I liked nights.... but I find it HARD... way harder to workout after nights than days...
Joys of nursing :drinker:
currently doing a night shift. hope this makes sense :huh:

Replies

  • flatbellybella
    flatbellybella Posts: 303 Member
    well, I just realized how many times this question has already been asked. :sick:
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    ha ha yes, yes it has. I work 5x a week, 11pm-7am PST including weekends with Mon/Tues as my days off. I never workout before going to work. I either workout after work in the morning around 8am at my YMCA and on weekends while @ work . Usually between 2-3AM for 30 mins. It's rarely busy at work on the weekends and the 4 people or so I work with are supportive of me and my weight loss and cover for me if it does get busy while I am out. Another cool aspect of the workplace and hours I do work is no one cares if you show up in your PJ's.

    There really isn't a dress code enforced. Many weekends I'll just come into work wearing workout clothes and no one cares. I work at a desk infront of a computer so it can get boring at times and of course unhealthy from sitting so long. I work at a Naval base so it's pretty secure and safe to go outside. Very little traffic and people around. They have a track and field that I'll go walk a few miles plus big parking garage buildings. I'll go up and down the 8 flights of stairs and jog up the ramps to the rooftop and back down. There's a HUGE gym with 3 floors of cardio machines, weights, and even a pool! Unforunately it's closed when I am at work :frown:
  • TamAD48
    TamAD48 Posts: 387
    I just got a gym membership and I plan on stopping there as soon as I get out of work in the morning. I figured that will work best for me because I won't have to worry about making sure I get up earlier to stop at the gym before going into work.
  • aworlds
    aworlds Posts: 3 Member
    I know the nights I worked at a nursing home I would take my lunch break and walk downstairs in the basement. No one was around plus I would keep 5 pound weights in my locker and used them when I walked. I always found that it was to hard to workout when I got off because I was to tired. Now I work home health and can't walk at work. But I work 2 12s and a 16. So I work out on my days off. So I got 3 major work outs in during the week.
  • KristyB32
    KristyB32 Posts: 76 Member
    Definitely before work..if I do it after work I'll never go to sleep. :)
  • interceptor311
    interceptor311 Posts: 980 Member
    Before work. After shift I need to sleep right away.
  • EHuntRN
    EHuntRN Posts: 320 Member
    Im just glad to see that at least 3 people say they work out when they wake up. I too am just too tired when I get home in the morning, esp since my husband picks me up and I have usually already fallen asleep by the time I get home. Now my question is...do you eat before you go to bed??
  • aweltha
    aweltha Posts: 11 Member
    I squeeze in workouts wherever and whenever I can. You can frequently see me lunging my meds down the hallway or doing jumping jacks on my lunch break. I always stand and chart. I can't workout after work unless I have the day off or I'll never get to sleep. On nights that I work I make an effort to get up early enough to lightly workout. I'm always afraid if I put in a heavy workout day that I won't be able to perform my best at work so I save those for my days off.
  • hopo37
    hopo37 Posts: 14 Member
    I know for me I do my walking when I get home... anything else during the day is extra...
  • karelaicor4
    karelaicor4 Posts: 2 Member
    Yes I eat before I go to sleep. I sleep better that way. I also go to sleep at the end of my shift. I am just to tired to try to work out at the end of my shift.
  • dixedreg
    dixedreg Posts: 276 Member
    Immediately after my shift ends. We do have the benefit of a free gym in the same building. In fact, in the last month everyone on my shift has been working out. It's pretty awesome. We all suffer together! LOL
  • tonkrz
    tonkrz Posts: 7 Member
    If I'm really going to get a workout in, it needs to be before work--for several reasons. With the days getting shorter, it's more likely to still be dark when I get off work, which means outside stuff is limited. I try to walk the dog (at a brisk-very brisk pace) before work and usually get in at least a brief workout at home before heading there.

    Most weeks, I work five 12-hour shifts, and by the time I get off work at 6:30 a.m., I'm done for and want to go to bed. Therefore, after work isn't realistically going to happen. On the days I don't get up early enough to walk and/or work out, I cut myelf some slack and know I'll make it up on my weekend.
  • ImprovingEla
    ImprovingEla Posts: 396 Member
    On night shifts I work out during the day first night I go in and then after sleep.
    I am in my bed at 7 am and gym opens at 8.30 am so hell no thats gonna happen that I keep my eyes open for so long and then workout. So I mostly wake up arounf 3pm and then be in the gym by 4pm, gotta be at work at 8 pm.

    Last night I come home I mostly stay up and then go to the gym in the morning.

    Oh yeah and I always eat a little something before I go to bed, caus when I wake up or go to bed being hungry I will be so grumpy I will get nothing done!
  • CdnPgnMom
    CdnPgnMom Posts: 172 Member
    I work Saturday afternoons and Sunday to Wednesday midnights. I get home around 8am, get the kids ready for school, and then sleep for the afternoon. On Sunday mornings and Monday & Wednesday nights I run a healthy living support group and that is when I work out. On Sundays after my workout I go home and go to bed. On Monday and Wednesday evenings, I finish my workout and then head home to get ready for work.
  • risu21
    risu21 Posts: 5
    I'm finding it hard to keep a regular workout schedule because my shift changes from week to week - I'm the full time rotating night nurse on my unit, so I'm plugged into the schedule holes each week, LOL. I like to go for walks in the morning after I get my kids off to school and before I go to sleep on my on-days. On days off, I hit it when I can depending on what is going on. I really need to settle on something and make it a habit because I just can't seem to get the willpower up when I'm tired.
  • taekwonkenpo
    taekwonkenpo Posts: 1,004
    I have tried to work out right after work. I just can't do it. I get down on myself because i want to work out but when i get home all i can do is crawl in bed and sleep. I have better success when i workout right after i wake up. I usually work out with more intensity when i wait till MY morning time.
  • charmingcee
    charmingcee Posts: 32 Member
    Mostly I workout after I get home in the the morning. But sometimes my schedule or my 3 kids cause me to miss my morning workout and I try to make it up in the evening before I go in.
  • bradley0320
    bradley0320 Posts: 12 Member
    When i can i get to the gym after my shift, and i get my kids to school that way im out and ready to work out. There are times that i work a 16 or 18 hour shift so have to wait till after that way i don't feel tired during work.
  • hjy319
    hjy319 Posts: 269 Member
    I go right after work.
  • Chrissy180
    Chrissy180 Posts: 30 Member
    I work the same as you as a night RN. I find that I get a better workout if I do it before work after I've slept. I have more energy when i first wake up so I burn more and don't wear out as easily. If I get there at 4:30 I can get in at least an hour of cardio. Good luck to you..
  • shanehd
    shanehd Posts: 22 Member
    Well i'll start by saying i work 12 hour shifts with an hour drive on either side. shifts are form 6:30-6:30, i do two weeks days then two weeks nights. when i'm on nights i have to workout before work as i am just too zonked when i get home. i need to set my alarm for 2pm and give up a bit of sleep to get the workout in but find it is worth it in the long run.
  • elatrice89
    elatrice89 Posts: 5 Member
    I work 12s 3 nights a week with call, so it's really hard to schedule time to workout. On my first night of the week, I usually go in the morning so that I can go back to sleep before work. Once I've started working, I teach zumba 2 nights a week the hour before work. If i'm not teaching, I go to the gym then. It's easier to talk yourself into leaving home then to talk yourself into staying at the gym after work, in my opinion.
  • Lizisliving
    Lizisliving Posts: 4 Member
    I find it easier to workout in the mornings when my shift is over
  • Joleen_J2004
    Joleen_J2004 Posts: 10 Member
    Right now I've been trying to work out after work before I go home. I'm less likely to be able to wake up early and go work out.
  • I too am really struggling to workout before/after a 12+ hour shift. After Seeing your posts I'm a bit more inspired to work out on work days. On my off days, I'm struggling with the lack of sleep & energy that comes with regularly flipping schedules so I can see daylight periodically. I guess it's no wonder why I've gained 10lbs over the last 6 months. Thanks for the advice.:happy:
  • amc119
    amc119 Posts: 71 Member
    I work 7p-730a. I leave for work around 6, so I get up around 4, workout, shower and go. It works for me, I've done Insanity and Chalean Extreme before work. At first I used to be more tired at work because of it, but after I got used to it, I actually feel better!