Working 12 hour shifts overnight and find room for workout while taking care of your family.

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Kst76
Kst76 Posts: 935 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I work 12 hour shifts, overnight, 6 days a week. Then Im off the second week. It all comes out to 72 hours a pay period.
On the weeks that I work, I find it really hard to fit in a workout. I commute 45 min to work, work for 12 hours, drive home 45 min. After I get home I have to sleep, wake up, make dinner, spend time with kids, homework, and then drive to work again. I find when I get home from work in the morning, I am so tired and drained I just fall into bed. when I wake up , the kids are on their way home from school. As of right now I make a decision to either get less sleep, get on the treadmill or my elliptical before the kids get home, or chose to get my rest. For those of you that are in a similar situation, what do you do?

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  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 13,263 Member
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    A neighbor friend took a job an hour north of here. I think they work only ten hour shifts four days a week, but the days change so everyone can get weekends off some weeks.

    He rents an apartment up there so he doesn't have to commute. He doesn't get to see his family those days. It seems to work for them; he's done it for at least six years.

  • frhaberl
    frhaberl Posts: 145 Member
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    Wasn't working the long shifts, but commuting with young kids I would fit an exercise session in during my lunch break (my workplace had a gym and showers, but a walk outside worked if I didn't want to get too sweaty) or include some outdoor play and/or walk as my time with kids once I got home.

    Is your job an active job or one where you are sitting for the majority of the shift? If it's active (getting more than 10,000 steps a day) then it may not be all that necessary to fit in an exercise session.

    I personally would prioritize sleep if I absolutely had to choose. It is much more difficult to make good food choices (or any other type of choices) when you are sleep deprived. If you are planning to operate in a sleep deficit during your shift weeks, it might help to make some of those decisions in advance, like doing meal planning/meal prepping on your off weeks so you are set up for success during your shift weeks.
  • Kst76
    Kst76 Posts: 935 Member
    edited February 14
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    Thank you guys. I agree sleepnis more important. And I am logging my calories. I work as a radiology tech in a hospital but at night its not that busy so I sit alot. However ,I could walk the corridors and do some pushups. And on my stretch of days off I do more cardio
    I just feel bad because I miss it when I go to long . Thanks again.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 9,089 Member
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    Minor addition to your daily movement would be to park at the furthest parking spot possible and walk in to work (and back to car at end of shift).
  • Kst76
    Kst76 Posts: 935 Member
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    nossmf wrote: »
    Minor addition to your daily movement would be to park at the furthest parking spot possible and walk in to work (and back to car at end of shift).

    That's an idea! Thank you.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,187 Member
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    Kst76 wrote: »
    nossmf wrote: »
    Minor addition to your daily movement would be to park at the furthest parking spot possible and walk in to work (and back to car at end of shift).

    That's an idea! Thank you.

    If that sort of thing - more daily life movement with minimal extra time spent - you might find some useful ideas in this thread:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

    Not everything in there will suit everyone, and not every idea is truly minimal time . . . but there may be some options in there that are workable.

    Best wishes!

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