Now that I've got that downer out of the way... There are ways to manage them so that the impact of the off kilter hours to your body is lessened. It's all about finding your groove: when to sleep, when and what to eat, and how to stay active.
Keeping a regular workout schedule is important to me even during mids. Those workouts may be more difficult than usual - I blame it on not drinking coffee except right before my shift starts! - but they bring a feeling of normalcy. They're also good for fending off the ill effects of simply working the night shift.
So when do you squeeze a workout in? Just like finding your sleeping routine, you have to find what works for you and your body. For me, it's usually easiest to just hit my treadmill after I wake up from a morning nap and have my "breakfast." I don't have to go anywhere to workout, and I can go at my own pace.
Today was one of the treadmill-only days. Surprisingly, it wasn't a difficult workout even though my morning sleep was less than stellar. Winning? Winning...
I still hit my boot camp classes when they fit in my sleep/wake cycle, but I try not to force it. For instance, there's absolutely no way that I'm making it through a boot camp class at 8:15 when my shift ends at 8:00 ... I'm too dead on my feet! But the 12:30 pm class? Probably.
Listen to your body. You do you.
Speaking of my boot camp, one of the things I love about working out there and the wonderful, generous staff and fellow campers, is that we use our workouts to benefit the community. I participated in a Holiday Accountability Challenge, with proceeds from the enrollment fee going to benefit students at an elementary school in town. Not only can I feel the workout high, but also the high of helping others.
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