opinions.... especially from fellow nurses

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cjudesaenz
cjudesaenz Posts: 67 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I work as a nurse at a busy ER and ICU i routinely do 12-14 hour shift sometimes even 16 at least 3-4 days out of the week. At the end of the day IM ABSOLUTELY EXHAUSTED, all I can think about is going home showering and going to bed and doing it all over again the next day. My question is, on my day off I do two T25 workouts back to back but i don't work out the days I work. Because honestly I'm too tired. Im eating well and have seen results but I want to know if this is enough or should I just force my self to workout on the days I work.... what do you think and what would you do

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  • MarineCodie
    MarineCodie Posts: 256 Member
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    That's a pretty demanding schedule. I know a big part of it is you just being mentally exhausted. However, are you sure you're eating enough? That could be a big factor in this whole tiredness issue. You're probably doing way more than you realize as a nurse.

    Also, why don't you try going for a quick walk or jog in the middle of the day. I don't know if you have a lunch break. The fresh air could do you some good and wake you up. Plus, you won't have to worry about working out when you get home.
  • cjudesaenz
    cjudesaenz Posts: 67 Member
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    Thanks for the awesome suggestions!!! :) but unfortunately I can't leave the units i work in. There are days where I don't event have time to pee let a lone eat a meal. Granted I do take my lunch but you are right I'm not eating the way i do when I don't work. Usually small balanced meals but when I work its a go in the lounge take a couple of bite and back to the unit then back again for a few more bits and so on, what a terrible cycle but its the nature of the job what can I say. And you hit the nail in the head with the mental exhaustion... "ugh" is what goes through my mind at the end of the day !!!
  • MarineCodie
    MarineCodie Posts: 256 Member
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    I had to up my calories recently because I would get done with work and just want to sleep. I think you should make an effort to up them even by just a couple hundred. Then, see how you feel. It could be a quick fix. Good luck and thanks for what you do :flowerforyou:
  • robinaddison
    robinaddison Posts: 232 Member
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    You've lost 51 lbs doing what you do! Seems to me you've already got this dialed in my friend. I'm also a nurse in an extremely busy ER and I also work 12 hour shifts. At the end of the day, there is no way on Gods green earth that I'm gonna workout. All I can think about is getting home, FINALLY emptying my bladder, FINALLY eating something without interruptions and going to sleep so I can get up the next day and do it again. (Incidentally - I wear a fitness band...it seems I walk somewhere in the neighborhood of 6.5 miles while on shift. No wonder I'm pooped at the end of it) My days off are for fitness. Hiking, working out, whatever. So the short answer to your question is no, I don't think not exercising on your work days is an issue.
    Oh - and Happy Nurses Week too!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    It all depends on your fitness goals. To lose weight - you will see results with a calorie deficit alone, so any exercise on top is good.

    I am not a nurse but I do work similarly demanding 12 hours shifts (well did until I got pregnant). I worked 2 days, 2 nights, 4 off. For a long time I was not able to workout after my dayshifts. I started trying, I aimed to workout for one of my two dayshifts (and before one of my two nightshifts). I planned for one, and always started the workout. If after 10 or 20 minutes I was still totally dragging, I cut it short. It didn't happen often, in fact, I found that some days I had some of my best workouts when I felt like it was going to be a terrible one.
    You don't have to force yourself if you don't want to, you don't need to. But it may also be more possible than you believe if you tried. Whether you want to try is up to you.
  • cjudesaenz
    cjudesaenz Posts: 67 Member
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    Thanks GUYS!!!! And happy nurses day to you too sweetheart!!!!.... I feel your pain friend I guess if my calories are in check and the stress munchies are under control Ill be alright!!!
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    Fellow nurse here. I work nightshirt in a level 1 trauma center's sicu. I usually wake up and go directly to the gym if I have to work that night. It was exhausting at first but I got used to it. I'm the kind of person that goes to sleep immediately when I get off shift. There is no feasible way I could workout after a shift. I have several coworkers who do the opposite. They workout after a shift then sleep in later then I do. You just need to find whatever works best for you. Try different options until you find the right one.
  • drewgram79
    drewgram79 Posts: 1 Member
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    I'm an RN in a 200 adults/day ED, and I honestly couldn't imagine exercising on the days that I work. But take heart! I turned on a pedometer app on my phone the other day, and clocked over 11000 steps before the phone died, and that was at 5pm... still 2 hours to go. All that walking counts toward calories burned, even if one's heart rate isn't elevated. And it put into perspective why I'm so completely exhausted after a shift. Like you, I barely eat during work days. Think about it... we're essentially walking 6 or 7 miles with no fuel.

    So, I've started buying and bringing meal replacement bars. Its funny; lots of people use these bars as snacks, and don't think of all the extra calories they have. But when you use them as they're intended, AS MEALS, they're excellent. I know it might be a bit icky, but I keep them in my scrubs, in some of the less used pockets, and I scarf them down when I have 2 seconds here or there. I feel so much more energetic after a shift when I've actually eaten every 2-3 hours, like a normal human being, during the shift. Try it! :-)
  • PJPrimrose
    PJPrimrose Posts: 916 Member
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    All help professions tear down the people who help with the crazy hours. Still, I know cops, nurses and others with nutty schedules that watch what they eat when they get time to eat!

    I work part time so it helps. I only have to work out one day that I work. It's late, I'm tired but I do it anyway. Then I cook late as I cannot eat before I work out. It's a pain! If you do not take care of yourself these kinds of jobs will destroy your health! My schedule is 3 on 4 off.

    To answer your question directly, yes, I would force myself to exercise. I would concentrate on lifting over cardio as most nurses spend a great deal of time on their feet.
  • velmamher
    velmamher Posts: 1
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    I am an RN and work 10 hour shifts 3 days per week, so I do have a couple extra hours more than you do to get workouts in. I have to follow my schedule at my fitness studio, so some of those days I often have to be there by 6 PM. I haven't missed yet in 4 months that I have been doing this. Years ago I worked 12 hour shifts, full-time, 4 kids - "supermom" LOL. I worked the night shift at that time and would go work out for an hour immediately after work, before going to bed for a few hours before starting over again. I think it really made me feel better overall while working those crazy hours.
    If it is any consolation - I once read that staff nurses burn about 200 calories per hour - so my shifts I figure I am burning about 2000 calories. So……I think you probably don't have to worry about workouts after a 12 to 16 hour day! I do think when you do work out, though, you should make sure to do strength and core training.
  • kahulalui
    kahulalui Posts: 33
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    This is what I am eying to figure out how to eat during work. Plus, I don't get home till after 8. People say eating after 8 isn't good. So now when do I eat? Sometimes I don't even have time to drink.

    I works night for years and two months ago I finally landed days. I thought the weight would drop off. My problem is when and what to eat and maybe I should do some weights since I do cardio on my days off. Some great tips so far.
  • hyg99
    hyg99 Posts: 354 Member
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    When I do clinical shifts (12 & 1/2 hrs) I can't face exercise either, as I just feel too tired. It's a long time on your feet, and frequently I feel very dehydrated. I've taken to having extra water in the car on the way home, rightly or wrongly I try and catch up on days off, doing something in the morning and then in the evening. I do take very good pack ups to work, generally frozen left overs so I know my calories are sorted and so by not exercising I am still within my limits.

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