Tips on Fitting in Exercise with the Long Nursing Shifts

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The daily grind and how people fit so many tasks into one day is unbelievable. Everyone seems to be juggling all sorts of daily tasks and wondering if they are ever going to finish their daily chores and work assignments. Between children, soccer and other sports, dance class, recitals, practice, dry cleaning, cooking, laundry, home up keep, property maintenance, doctor’s appointments, taking time for spouses and work…how can you really make time for physical fitness?

There never seems to be enough time in a day to get everything done and what you do not get done overflows to the next day, so the days becomes more and more stuffed. Then of course, we see other people who always seem to have it together and never seem to miss a beat. You ask yourself, “What am I doing so wrong that I can never seem to get everything I need done?”

Beginning Time Management Tips

The key here is planning ahead of time. While it may not be possible to get 50 hours into one day, you can certainly make a good plan of attack and put a major dent in it all. Set goals and prioritize your tasks at hand. Which ones are more important? Once you have those down then you have time to add in more if time allows. Some things simply need to be set for your days off. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You can be creative in getting help by offering food and time with friends and family. You may be surprised at those willing to give you a hand. There are also classes in time management where you can learn how to better manage your time.

Time Management Tips on Fitting in Exercise with the Long Nursing Shifts

According to Nurse Zone, nurses work in a challenging and very stressful environment making it seem impossible to find time to exercise. Exercising may not seem like the thing that you want to do after working a 12 or more hour shift on your feet full of stress, but the benefits will far outweigh the cons in not doing so. Exercising will energize your body and get the blood flowing more freely taking away brain fog, relieving stress and increasing endorphins in your body. You will not always feel like taking that 10 or 15 minutes to work out on any level, but you will feel so much better and feel a better sense of accomplishment once it is done.

If you want to do an exercise that is easy on the joints, you may want to try yoga or Tai Chi or maybe even Zumba, which can be a lot of fun. You want to increase flexibility and strength and blood flow throughout your body. Some nurses will either work out first thing in the morning, on their lunch hour, or right after work and then make the most time for workouts on their days off. Some will walk or ride a bike to work and get some of their workout to and from work. Some will target different parts of their bodies.

The key is to be inspired, drink lots of water, and try to omit soda intake. Eat healthier and pack your own lunch. Talk to others to see what or how they are staying in shape. Find different forms of exercise until you find one you really like and look forward to doing.