Fitting in exercise with my shifts.

In the winter I work up in Northern Alberta and shift 12hrs. I know the feeling. I found the best thing (when there wasn't a gym available) was to strip down to my skivvies and do some calisthenics on a yoga mat. I found once I was stretching, doing push/sit ups and getting my blood flowing that I'd want to do more and sweat more.

It's kind of a intertial thing. You get pushed off the start line and just keep cruising.

I don't work the long shifts, but am always on the go with the kids when I get off work. I've recently started doing stairs or just walking during my breaks and at lunch. This has helped a lot!

Know ur pain I work 430pm to 500am. I get home and in bed by 6am...unless son is in bad mood and won't go back to bed (he's 14mo old). Usually sleep until 11am, get up, get food prepped for next shift, then do whatever exercise I have planned. It really blows working 12hrs after working out, but I gotta do it.

u could get up earlier, not saying do it. Lord knows I wouldn't. Me personally, id work out @ 10pm on ur shift. Still time to shower and unwind for bed.

Ajay, what type of work do you do if I may ask? I do traffic control for companies, paving roads or road construction. I'm a flagger. I'm the person everybody hates to run into when they are running late. I use a stop/slow paddle when I'm on the end of a one-lane road pattern or use a red flag if controling traffic coming off a side street. I sometimes have 1-1/2 hr. commute and can have a 12-14 hr shift 5 or 6 days a week (and we don't get breaks). Trust me I feel your pain with trying to figure out when to work out. Try to be creative with your work. You say you stand all day, can you raise and lower your legs, do squats, lunges, push-ups against a wall, walk in place,lift and lower items, etc... With my job I try to do any movement I can when no cars are in front of me (otherwise I'm sure somebody would call the police on me). I believe in doing bodyweight type exercises/movements when I'm at work....any little bit helps. Then on my days off I try to concentrate on a harder more enduring workout. I've only just started back to work and I'm learning everday what I can do to help myself get back into shape.

I'm a nurse also and have been struggling with fitting a work out in on my work days (I work 12p-12a 3d/wk). I have been pretty consistent w/ working out the other 4 d of the week but if I could fit in just one more day I think it would really jump start my goal. Getting up earlier has been futile, I just keep hitting snooze.... I wonder if there are any other 2nd shifters out there who work out after a shift? If so, has it been positive? I'm inspired to try an end of shift work out, maybe just 30 min instead of my usual 70! We shall see!