Exercising under Stress..

workoutqueen628
workoutqueen628 Posts: 220
edited September 21 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey all. I am a college student and am taking chemistry over this summer. The course is very time consuming and overwhelming because we are moving quickly and I have tons of work to do and not enough time to do it in. Needless to say, I am a little bit stressed out right now. The course is sucking up most of my energy and I am finding that I cannot do my workouts as successfully as before. To all you people who work full-time, how do you balance exercise and a job? When you're stressed do you workout? What about when you're exhausted from a hard day's work? Do you push yourself through a light workout OR let yourself have a day of rest? Thanks.

Replies

  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    My wife and I both work full time, two kids etc, we make a schedule to make exercise as part of our routine, for example, last night was Wed that is water aerobics night, Thurs is my last chance workout, Friday is spin class my wife and I do together, Sat, weight class together, sunday another spin together.. she works out at lunch too. See you gotta make time. make it apart of your routine do you dont have an excuse not to go
    As far as stress, it can do a lot to your body, I would say some activity might take your mind off it and be a stress reliever, I would still try to do something.
  • rcatr
    rcatr Posts: 374 Member
    I actually find that working out when I'm stressed is actually helpful. It releases the tension I hold in my shoulders and back and gets those good endorphins flowing, ya know? There are those rare occasions when I get home at 10pm from work and I really just can't get in a run or a strength session, but if i'm up for it, I'll try to at least stretch and get in some yoga poses to let out my day. Even if the walk or drive TO the gym or place of workout seems like a chore, you'll feel better afterwards.
  • kcdrake
    kcdrake Posts: 512
    I know that summer classes can be crazy stressful (just finished a summer semester myself) and for me the important thing was just to get a work out in. The best time for me was in the morning. I know that the energy put into the workout may not be the best, but it's better than not working out.

    Best of luck!
  • Glitter_pumpkin
    Glitter_pumpkin Posts: 81
    I always find that i'm a lot less stressed out after a workout especially if it's something like a dance or aerobic workout where you have a lot of fun and there are no rules. Yoga is suppose to be a low impact workout and great for stress as well.
  • timeworncougar
    timeworncougar Posts: 14
    I get up at 5:00AM to get it done at the beginning of the day that way it is done. It doesnt interfere with my kids or job and I feel energized the rest of the day.
  • foxxybrown
    foxxybrown Posts: 838 Member
    Morning workouts give me energy to get through the day! Then if I feel like doing more, I have time at night to do so.
  • lulabellewoowoo
    lulabellewoowoo Posts: 3,125 Member
    My wife and I both work full time, two kids etc, we make a schedule to make exercise as part of our routine, for example, last night was Wed that is water aerobics night, Thurs is my last chance workout, Friday is spin class my wife and I do together, Sat, weight class together, sunday another spin together.. she works out at lunch too. See you gotta make time. make it apart of your routine do you dont have an excuse not to go
    As far as stress, it can do a lot to your body, I would say some activity might take your mind off it and be a stress reliever, I would still try to do something.
    BTW, I copied this and sent it to my husband as he is always telling me he has no time to exercise, even though we joined a gym together two years ago. He goes MAYBE once a month. I like that you and your wife make time together. That's awesome!
  • Robin1109
    Robin1109 Posts: 231 Member
    I work full time and am currently working on my Master's thesis. It's ridiculous how little time I have in my daily schedule. To make sure I fit my work outs in, I started a morning routine. MWF I'm out the door by 5:45/6 and T, TH I'm out by 5:15 (for a 6am spin class). It took me a few weeks to really get into such an early morning routine since I'm NOT a morning person, but I'm surprising myself with how quickly I can now get out of bed at 4:45am! The trick is to definitely be asleep by 10:30 or it just won't work for you.
  • amelia_atlantic
    amelia_atlantic Posts: 926 Member
    I find exercise completely clears my head during stressful times. I FIND the time to make it there or else I'd go insane! :noway:

    Plus, even a half an hour at the gym is time for yourself outside those chemistry books!

    Good luck with your class!
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
    I just finished my degree. I was working full time for quite a while. It sucked. Big time. I was taking online classes, so that helped. There were no "summer" sessions. Every class lasted 5 weeks. Fitting in exercise was DIFFICULT.

    I recommend putting down simple routines that will allow you ample time to exercise and study. I don't know your schedule, but mine was something like: Get up. Go to work. Come home. Eat dinner. Work out. Study for a couple of hours. Shower. Go to bed at a reasonable hour. That's just simple time management.

    You don't have to exercise for hours and hours. Fitting in a 30 minute workout can be plenty. Something like kickboxing burns a lot of calories. Personally, I'm a big fan of Tae Bo. :happy: There's actually an 8 minute Tae Bo workout that is great for fitting into tight schedules. Just make sure you set aside that time every day.

    And, yes, you should work out MORE when you are stressed. Exercise is the best stress reliever there is, far superior to any pill. This is when you need your workout the most. It will help you stay focused, give you energy, and a host of other benefits.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    Working out because of stress keeps me sane!!!! I got a speeding ticket ON THE WAY TO THE GYM last Friday and working out made me forget all about it. I remembered again once I got in the sauna, but I realized it would be okay.

    When I'm tired, I push through and just do it - unless it's a morning work out like this morning when I knew I wouldn't be able to perform like I should on -6 hours' sleep.
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