nurses! activity on days off.

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xcaranicolex
xcaranicolex Posts: 38 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone, I work as a nurse on a busy unit doing 12hr shifts. On days that I work I got for walks on the track or down to the gym and have no trouble getting activity. When days off finally come around I can usually get a short strength training at most. Just wondering how other ppl working long hours get motivated on days off or how much activity on average you get in comparatively. Thanks everyone

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  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Find an exercise you love. I like riding my bicycle because it clears my head. I find that when I am tired and stressed is when I feel the most like getting on it.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    edited May 2015
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    xcaranicolex wrote: »
    Hey everyone, I work as a nurse on a busy unit doing 12hr shifts. On days that I work I got for walks on the track or down to the gym and have no trouble getting activity. When days off finally come around I can usually get a short strength training at most. Just wondering how other ppl working long hours get motivated on days off or how much activity on average you get in comparatively. Thanks everyone

    My mom was a nurse. On her days off she just seemed to *kitten* at us kids nonstop and she was pretty thin. Meh...worked for her.
  • southeRNurse2016
    southeRNurse2016 Posts: 20 Member
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    I'm in nursing school, but I have the same problem. Just not motivated!
    But it's summer, and I'm determined to get back on track.
  • xcaranicolex
    xcaranicolex Posts: 38 Member
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    ncboiler89 wrote: »

    My mom was a nurse. On her days off she just seemed to *kitten* at us kids nonstop and she was pretty thin. Meh...worked for her.

    Haha I'll keep that in mind
  • nici94
    nici94 Posts: 28 Member
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    I have the same problem. I go for runs on the days I work and have no problem hitting 20000 steps. But on days off I maybe hit 6000. I have been trying to add short walks on my days off though. Some days it works.
  • lcooper327
    lcooper327 Posts: 112 Member
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    I'm the opposite. I get my best workouts in on days that I'm not working. Then I relax and rest my body and mind.
  • alyxls
    alyxls Posts: 29 Member
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    I'm a nurse too working 12 hr swing shifts. There's no trick beyond finding something you like. I've been doing TurboFire and I love it. I do it daily even on work days. It's just a lot of willpower until it becomes habit.
  • JillianRN527
    JillianRN527 Posts: 109 Member
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    I don't workout on the days I work. I'm too tired. I get up at 4:30 and I don't come home until 8:30 and then I have to prepare for the next day like pack my daughters lunch, etc. I go to the gym three days a week (non working days). See if you can borrow T25 or something from a friend. Quick but kicks your butt! Good luck!
  • xcaranicolex
    xcaranicolex Posts: 38 Member
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    nici94 wrote: »
    I have the same problem. I go for runs on the days I work and have no problem hitting 20000 steps. But on days off I maybe hit 6000. I have been trying to add short walks on my days off though. Some days it works.
    Exactly!! I find it much easier to keep moving on days I work than start moving on days off. I literally end up sleeping most of my first day off. Vicious cycle.
    JillianRN527 wrote: »
    See if you can borrow T25 or something from a friend. Quick but kicks your butt! Good luck!
    What's t25? I was looking at doing the 30day shred. Is it similar?
  • SMFRN
    SMFRN Posts: 108 Member
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    I get up at 4 am everyday to workout, unless i work more than 18 hour days. I can't workout at night because I'm too tired from work and need to spend time with the kids.
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
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    I run and do strength training on my days off
  • JillianRN527
    JillianRN527 Posts: 109 Member
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    T25 is by the maker of Insanity. It is 25 minutes. It's intense and I am wiped and drenched by the end but it's nice that it doesn't take up my whole day
  • xcaranicolex
    xcaranicolex Posts: 38 Member
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    newmeadow wrote: »
    Exercise when not working includes chewing M&Ms, thumbing the TV remote and fingering the keyboard while screwing around on MFP.

    Pushing that medication cart for hours on end and constantly transferring and repositioning obese and non ambulatory patients is so very tiring.

    I know I know. Someday I'll find the inspiration to take a long walk and lift some barbells. Or something.
    Right?? I keep telling myself the amount I do when I work balances out doing nothing on days off, but that's sounding pretty lame even to me lol
    JillianRN527 wrote: »
    T25 is by the maker of Insanity. It is 25 minutes. It's intense and I am wiped and drenched by the end but it's nice that it doesn't take up my whole day

    I'll definitely look into that! Thanks for the suggestion!
  • saires_au
    saires_au Posts: 175 Member
    edited May 2015
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    I walk every day. Days I don't work I go for a longer/faster walk. I also walk the kids to and from school each day which adds about 4,500 steps.

    My goal is 12000 steps a day, work days I kill it and get 16000+, days off I have to push myself to get to goal

    I average 14000 steps a day so it all evens out
  • kar328
    kar328 Posts: 4,155 Member
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    I work 7P-7A three times a week, different each week. Each Sunday I look at my schedule and the schedule of classes at my gym and write out the classes I can take that week - I'm big on TRX. I walk/run every day that I'm not working two or three in a row. I consider those "rest days" even though i can still get 10K steps in at work. So if I work Friday, Saturday, Sunday, I'll get in a class and walking/running on Friday, then nothing on S/S and will do something when I get up early Monday afternoon. I find I really miss the walking/running when I can't get out there. I hit 10K steps every day, but tell myself it's okay that I don't hit them on those second and third days - although I usually do because this place is so busy. This all works for me.
  • suzu_2
    suzu_2 Posts: 311 Member
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    I purposefully record a couple of favorite TV shows and don't "allow" myself to watch them until I get on the stationary bike. Great motivation for me to get on the bike and I can burn a LOT of calories concentrating on something I want to watch and not on how hard I'm working.
  • pennychaney89
    pennychaney89 Posts: 1 Member
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    I am a nurse I work 8-9 hr days. Five days a week. When I do a morning shift I never work out when I get home I'm absolutely exhausted. On PM shifts and days off I either ride my bike or do free weights. Lately I've been doing mostly morning shift and have reduced my work out time dramatically. I've totally gotten out of my routine and I've put on weight
  • mystgrl1604
    mystgrl1604 Posts: 117 Member
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    I usually work out on my days off. I can't muster up the energy to work out after a 12.5hr shift and a 2.5hr commute.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    mystgrl1604 wrote: »
    I usually work out on my days off. I can't muster up the energy to work out after a 12.5hr shift and a 2.5hr commute.

    Sick bump

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