Feelings guilty for NOT exercising on days you work 13+?

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GothicsDarkAngel
GothicsDarkAngel Posts: 78 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I work 13 hour shifts. I wake up at 4am and don't walk in the door until almost 8pm.

I feel guilty for not working out on days that I have to work (especially when I do 2...or 3) in a row. If I work a single, it isn't as bad, I can normally muster up some energy to get SOME type of workout in.

I was going to try to do my cardio/weights on days I am off (4 days a week), and do my yoga on days I am scheduled to work.

I am just SO zapped when I get home from work...I barly muster up the strength to take a shower. :(

Can you guys help me with this? I can NOT get up earlier than 4 to work out. I barely have enough time at that to take a shower, eat, and get out of the house in a timely fashion to make it to work on time. Working out before work isn't plausible.
I'm already only getting 6 hours of sleep a night.


Anybody? Am I alone in this? What do you find that works?
~Holly

Replies

  • GothicsDarkAngel
    GothicsDarkAngel Posts: 78 Member
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    No one?
  • megkeage
    megkeage Posts: 8 Member
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    Well to begin with I feel bad when I don't work out which is 2 days a week.
    with that being said I stopped beating myself up over it because my body needs rest.
    we need that day for our body to rest and therefore I have more energy for a killer
    workout after I had my off day. Try not to beat yourself up and use those days
    to reenergize yourself and your body will thank you for it. You dont want to burn
    yourself out.
  • jason_adams
    jason_adams Posts: 187 Member
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    IMHO:

    I would not feel guilty. Knowing when NOT to work out is a very valuable thing.
    Your body needs more rest than 5-6 hours to properly rebuild after workouts. If you're only getting 6 right now, adding in exercise before bed is probably not a good idea.

    Working out on your other days is great. Just do your best to eat at your deficit or at maintenance on your long days.

    Hope that helps!
  • HappyHope0123
    HappyHope0123 Posts: 101 Member
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    Are you able to walk laps at work? Take your 30 minute lunch and work out for 20?
  • kota4bye
    kota4bye Posts: 809 Member
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    Are you able to walk laps at work? Take your 30 minute lunch and work out for 20?

    This. keep a KB in your car/desk and a quick work out at lunch?
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
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    I'm a high school varsity basketball coach and during the season, I just don't get to exercise regularly. On game nights I will get home anywhere from 10:30-12:00 a.m. Practice every day. I have to be at every JV and 7th/8th grade game. Fundraising to do. Film to watch. (This plus keep the house up, keep kids alive, cook meals, grocery shop, pay bills etc)

    I have no set schedule with exercise during the season. I am lucky to get on the treadmill on weekends during that time. It stinks but that's just how it is.

    Thankfully I have an off season so I do get regular workouts then.

    When you DO get to workout, make the very most of that time. For me, that would mean a HIIT or compound lifts.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,704 Member
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    Remember that exercise is for fitness and health. You don't need to do it for weight loss if that's your goal. 4 days a week is fine as long as your training regimen is challenging enough for you.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    Rest is one part of the fitness equation. Without proper rest, muscle rebuild is inhibited. Rest and know you are making progress...
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
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    I'd rest on the days you work 13+ hours, and work out on the days you have off/less hours. I usually don't work out on my 11 hour days (8-1 at one job, 3-9 at the other), and I keep my workout schedule flexible so I can change things around if necessary due to my work schedule or things even more unpredictable like bad weather :) If you only get 6 hours of sleep or less on these hectic days, prioritize rest over workouts; you can't get stronger if your body can't rest long enough to repair itself.
  • GothicsDarkAngel
    GothicsDarkAngel Posts: 78 Member
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    Thanks for the input everyone! I really appreciate it.

    I guess in the end it is all about time management. I just need to evaluate my current exercise and make sure I've covered all of my bases.


    Thanks Again!
  • UtahWI
    UtahWI Posts: 257 Member
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    I have had to just let it go. I used to work all scheduled 12's that are really 13 or more, and have recently had a change of schedule such that I only do the 12's on my weekends. I used to pound the heck out of myself for the four days I was off, trying to make up for the three days I didn't work out and wasn't keeping up with the program I was doing at the time.
    That was a mistake. I should have just done it as written, accepting that it was going to take longer to get through and not be pounding myself with doubles. Also, had to realize that the days I was working it wasn't like I was sitting on my *kitten* doing nothing...
    But yeah. I had tremendous guilt feelings if I didn't work out on those days or if I didn't "make up" for them on the four I was off. Make what you are doing count, and have respect for the value of rest.

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