night shift workers

kikiplays
kikiplays Posts: 7
in Motivation and Support
I am just looking for some suggestions from other people who work night shifts. I work from 9pm-5am. The easiest time for me to workout is after my shift. but there are some nights that I am just so tired that i go home, and my routine is off track. Other times I try to go when I wake up, but then I feel as though my time awake is so rushed, and its time to go to work.
I was just wondering if anyone can offer me some tips or let me know what works best for them.
Thanks!!

Replies

  • lisa28115
    lisa28115 Posts: 17,271 Member
    I am just looking for some suggestions from other people who work night shifts. I work from 9pm-5am. The easiest time for me to workout is after my shift. but there are some nights that I am just so tired that i go home, and my routine is off track. Other times I try to go when I wake up, but then I feel as though my time awake is so rushed, and its time to go to work.
    I was just wondering if anyone can offer me some tips or let me know what works best for them.
    Thanks!!

    I USED TO TRY TO DO MY WORKOUT AS SOON AS I GET HOME FROM WORK
    NOW I AM SO WIPED OUT THAT I GO HOME AND CRASH
    SO I EXERCISE WHEN I GET UP
    I LIFT WEIGHTS AT HOME ON MON, WED, AND FRI
    I GO TO A WATER AEROBICS CLASS ON TUES AND WED EVENINGS
    I WORK FROM 10PM TO 6AM
  • run2jeepn
    run2jeepn Posts: 183 Member
    I leave for work an hour -1/2 early. Hit the gym and go straight to work. I'm the same way. As soon as I get off in the AM. I'm going home. Your Workout can't be good anyway. Your Tried so you can't give it 100%. The your raising your HR just so you can go home and Crash. It's better for you and easier just to do it before work. It gets your HR up and blood flowing. Also helps set a faster Metabolism for the rest of the day.
  • harangue
    harangue Posts: 10 Member
    hey,
    i'm a shift worker, and my night shifts are 23:00-07:00. I could never force myself to do anything right after the night shift. For me it's getting home, getting changed and I'm asleep 5 minutes later. After I had about 3-4 hours of sleep, I get up, spend 30-60 minutes pretending that I'm a zombie, and then I can manage about 40-50 min of exercise.
    Hope this helps :)
  • lisa28115
    lisa28115 Posts: 17,271 Member
    PLEASE JOIN US ON THE OFFICIAL NIGHTSHIFT THREAD HERE ON MFP

    :flowerforyou:
  • sgv0918
    sgv0918 Posts: 851 Member
    I have done both. My night shift hours are 7p-7a. I am much better if I workout before work and just shower at the gym
  • anels449
    anels449 Posts: 3,187 Member
    hey,
    i'm a shift worker, and my night shifts are 23:00-07:00. I could never force myself to do anything right after the night shift. For me it's getting home, getting changed and I'm asleep 5 minutes later. After I had about 3-4 hours of sleep, I get up, spend 30-60 minutes pretending that I'm a zombie, and then I can manage about 40-50 min of exercise.
    Hope this helps :)

    I'm also 2300-0700!
  • anels449
    anels449 Posts: 3,187 Member
    I am just looking for some suggestions from other people who work night shifts. I work from 9pm-5am. The easiest time for me to workout is after my shift. but there are some nights that I am just so tired that i go home, and my routine is off track. Other times I try to go when I wake up, but then I feel as though my time awake is so rushed, and its time to go to work.
    I was just wondering if anyone can offer me some tips or let me know what works best for them.
    Thanks!!

    For me, after I get home from work I fall asleep right away. When I wake up, I get ready for the gym and have my gym classes that I go to. It's the best thing that's happened for me since I took a year off of school and started this job. Gave me the structure I needed, motivation to keep going, and I get to socialize (which I'm sure you already know, but it feels like I have no social life anymore with me working nights) with my friends. I'm always dead tired after I exercise so it's not ideal, but I've tried exercising after work and I'm even more tired and not enjoying the work out at all. All I'm thinking about is sleep! :p
  • donnab83
    donnab83 Posts: 105 Member
    I work a conti- shift 6-6 days & nights 60hr week then a 24hr week. (confusing I know!)
    It might sound lazy but I don't work out on my on shift days(unless it's my 1st night shift) but I do a class, gym or walk for at least 1 Hr on my off days. I don't work out on my shift days as I don't feel that I'm giving it my all, as I do on my off days. I'd rather feel I've done a work out than be a zombie! I haven't found that this affects my weight loss probably due to the fact my body docent know what's going on!
    Hope this helps! ;)
  • Pintsoflove
    Pintsoflove Posts: 13 Member
    I work 9PM-5AM as well. I've tried several different sleep schedules and what finally felt best for me is going to sleep as soon as I get home in the AM, usually around 6:00AM. I work out as soon as I wake up at 2PM and I'm ready for a new day (night)! This also worked best when trying to keep to my sleep schedule the same through the weekend.
  • emilybeatrice1
    emilybeatrice1 Posts: 163 Member
    i work 3pm to 330am.... i have an hour comute each way! the only time i feel i have enuff energy is right when i get up.
  • dwtimeoutt
    dwtimeoutt Posts: 107 Member
    I walk right after work and some days I do weights. It all depends on my energy. Why after work? Because I'm a procrastinator and would never walk if I had to do it before work. I work 10:45p-8:45am. I hope you find something that will work for you;. Good luck.
  • Carljosphit
    Carljosphit Posts: 1
    I work from 11:30pm to 8am. I've noticed that my best sessions are before work. I'm usually to tired and out of it to have an effective workout when I get off work, and then when I get home after my session I'm still in a fog but have a harder time falling asleep. I've heard from many sources that it is actually more difficult to fall asleep within 2-3 hours after exercise, and I would have to agree 100%. So, in this way it makes more sense to go before, as it perks me up and keeps me more alert during my shift.

    Ever since I've started working nightshift, I have found that I have been in the gym far more than before. This may be due to several factors, one being that the hours I go now, morning and late-night, are the times when the gym is least crowded, which is what I prefer anyways. Also, my job is very sedentary which may lead to an excess of energy that I feel I need to work off almost daily. This is a drawback as necessary rest days are becoming less and less frequent. Has anyone else noticed a near compulsive exercise routine ever since getting on a nightshift, or at least a significant increase in their time in the gym?
  • mattsky1
    mattsky1 Posts: 6
    I work 20:45 to 7:45 i try to walk around asmuch as i can at work but that dosnt always happen and im to tierd in the day but i do 7 on then 7 of and this is my last night so should be able to start with more exercise this week most will be light exercise in the park though as ill have my 2 year old son.
  • 949BeachMom
    949BeachMom Posts: 89
    I used to work nights for years and id either work out before bed or before work with enough time to shower at the gym .
  • juma4474
    juma4474 Posts: 64 Member
    I work 12hour night shifts, 7pm to 7am, every 2 weeks (I work rotating ****s). I also workout before I go to work because by the time I get home I am completely exhausted and read to go to bed. I wake up, drink a glass of water, workout, usually finish with a 1/2 all natural protein smoothie and then start getting ready for the evening. I know how rushed your time awake can feel but you have to make time, even if its only 30mins, for yourself. Utilize the time you have to the best of your ability and you'll see progress.
  • tayl09
    tayl09 Posts: 19 Member
    I feel very opposite of everyone else :P Where as everyone sleeps when they get home i stay up!

    I work 11p to 7a soon to be switching to 12 hours (2 11-7, 2 7-7 per wk).
    I tend to sleep from 3p to 10p. So i usually work out right after work for about an hour or so then stay up all morning until late afternoon. I have tried sleeping as soon as i got home, and i can usually only sleep a few hours then I am wide awake, because I always get a second wind i suppose.
  • clefairyworks
    clefairyworks Posts: 3
    I work from 9:45pm to 7:45am and I just cannot work out before my shift since I'm practically a zombie when I get up for work. I also tend to have a lot energy when I'm coming off a shift, so I do my workouts then. I have noticed on the day I haven't worked I do a bit better pace and results wise, but if I didn't go after work I'd never actually get my butt up on work days.

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