Work schedule destroying exercise!!

[PeterPan09]

I was doing great with my exercise..and then work happened. I'm working 60-70 hours a week and it's killing my program. Even the days I'm not doing 12 to 16 hour shifts I'm so wiped out from doing those shifts plus the normal stuff like laundry, cooking and cleaning that I can't even imagine a run, swim or DVD.

Anyone here already figured out how to fight the schedule and stick to the program?

 

[BecBennett]

I hear ya!

Unfortunately it's those big days that tend to end with picking up take out food on the way home, coz you're too buggered to cook when you get home - that's when it really starts to become a problem!

Are you finding that you're staying back later to cope with the work load? Or going in earlier? Or is it both? If you're just staying back later, see how you go with getting up a bit earlier for some exercise.

I can't really offer an opinion, because my exercise regime comes to a stand still if all I can think about is working and sleeping...

Just remember when this busy time dies down, get straight back on the horse. I know it sounds cruel, but allowing yourself to have a couple of days to get over how busy you were, usually leads to a couple of weeks, a couple of months and so on...

 

[jimandami]

I also work at least 60 hours most weeks, if not 70-80, with a mixture of 8, 16, 24, and sometimes even 32 hour shifts. I have just gotten it into my head that I will work out 6 days a week, no matter what time I have to do it and no matter how tired I am. I have found that getting up an hour early (so 4 AM most days) and just getting it done then works best for me. Yes, it sucks to get up that early but honestly, I have gotten used to it and now if I don't work out in the morning, I feel more tired all day, ya know?

 

[slp1650]

I know my schedule definitely kills my workouts. Luckily, I'm walking a lot on my job, but still... I want to run some days and I just don't have the energy.

Next week I'm working all 7 days... actually Wednesday is going to be my last day off for a while, but I'm ready for it. I have a few later shifts so I'm hoping to get runs in, but we'll see if that actually happens. I could end up just being too tired, but who knows. Luckily, work is scheduled to slow down soon so I should be getting my normal schedule back.

In the least, I try to get a few arm, leg, and ab exercises in everyday. It doesn't always happen, but it does make me feel better when it happens.

 

[FireDancer]

I would treat exercise, whether it is the gym or just a walk around the block, as an appointment and put it on your calendar/schedule just like you would a meeting with the executives or a doctor's appointment and treat it as just as mandatory. I remember reading some tips in Men's Health a while ago now about ways to get in exercise when you schedule is busy and that was the first thing them mentioned.

Another suggestion was to take longer lunch breaks once or twice a week and do a workout then. I will be starting a lunchtime yoga class tomorrow and decided I'll just take a 90 minute lunch break on Wednesdays from now on.

There are also little things you can do throughout the day to get in a little more physical activity. If you work on a higher floor take the stairs instead of the elevator. Instead of sitting at a lunch table and eating lunch grab a sandwich and walk around the parking lot or neighborhood while you eat (some of the women at work do this when the weather is nice), bring your workout clothes with you to work and go to the gym on the way there or on the way home. I almost always do this because it is much harder to get home and leave again than to stop on the way.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll figure it out.

 

[PrincessRhi]

Oh my goodness, this is the story of my life.

The hardest part for me is twofold: not only can I not take the time during the day to exercise the way I'd like to since I usually have pockets of 10-15 minutes when something is incubating, but I also can't have food or water in the lab, so eating on a schedule gets thrown off as well. I do try the before/after work thing, having clothes in my car, etc., but if I'm tired or running late, I don't do it.

I've tried to incorporate different things during the day. If I'm standing at the bench, I'll try to do some leg exercises (squats, calf raises, etc.) or stretching. If I'm sitting at a microscope, I will try to get up every hour or two and do laps around my floor (it's in a figure 8) just to get some movement. I know it's something, but it's not the workouts I like to get in, so it doesn't feel like much. I really can't believe how tired I get at the end of a work day, especially for a job that doesn't require manual labor.

If you can find a way to squeeze in some small things, maybe 10 minutes or so here and there, it can equal up to a longer workout.

 

[PlutoBaby]

I so hear you on this one! I get an hour for lunch everyday which is a total waste of time, but I began taking advantage of it by walking for 40 minutes every day as long as it's not raining. It really helps break up the day and wakes me up as well. I'm stuck at a desk all day so anything I can do to get moving is a bonus. I am SO not a morning person, so getting up even earlier than I already do just won't happen. I tried it for a few weeks and I found my workouts were a joke. Now as soon as I get out of bed, I do some quick pushups and crunches just to get the blood moving. I look at it as any minutes not sitting in a chair or on a couch is a great thing!

 

[afnaechiquita]

I had the same problem while training for the Princess Half this year. From November up until the race I ran maybe 2-3 times a week, but definitely nowhere close to what I needed to do. I still beat my time from last year, but I definitely felt the soreness afterwards a lot deeper! I'm lucky I didn't have an injury.

With this, it really is a mind matter. You have to keep reminding yourself that even though you are tired from the workday, getting a workout in should have the reverse effect than what you think it will. It will reenergize you. Do you have the option to get your workouts in before work? If so, although it's a pain to wake up earlier, you're getting the energy boost early on in the day to take you through the long workday.

 

[The Running Ann]

This was a problem for me as well since my work schedule was often unpredictable in the evening. I finally moved to a morning workout schedule and it has definitely improved my consistency.

If early mornings seem like too much of a challenge, I would just schedule one or two day workouts (maybe Tues/Thurs) in the beginning and then see if it is something you like. Every day was too much for me in the beginning. I still bribe myself with a pre-workout espresso to get out of bed and on the road.

I also try to incorporate a few exercises into my work day. A few push ups, squats, or tricep dips periodically throughout the day help me be more productive too. On pretty days, I like to go out for a walk. Even twenty minutes helps and the fresh air feels great too.