Spring into Action to Get in Shape for Summer
By Megan M. Krischke, contributor
Spring, with its warming temperatures, blooming landscapes and new life, offers the perfect inspiration to get outside, start something new and pursue health. It also provides a second chance for those fitness resolutions to take hold that you made back in January. Not only will getting active improve your health, but joining a fitness class or inviting new coworkers to exercise with you is a great way to build friendships at your assignment facility.
Here are six options to consider as you strive to increase your fitness level and get in shape for summer:
Explore!
Not currently following an exercise regimen? Walking is an easy starting point for almost anyone, and as a travel nurse you have a whole new city to explore--so get going! Consider going to different parts of the city a few times each week to explore neighborhoods or enjoy some window-shopping while you get your heart rate up. And don’t forget to take a walking partner with you. You can also pick a favorite route around your current neighborhood to get to know your neighbors and help your new home start to feel familiar.
If you are up for something a bit more strenuous, check out local state parks for opportunities to hike and enjoy the changing seasons. Every area of the country offers unique outdoor recreational opportunities, and a visit to an outdoor outfitters store will likely result in plenty of ideas to keep you busy on your days off.
Couch-to-5K®
The Couch-to-5K (C25K) running plan is also ideal for someone just starting a fitness routine. The program is tailored to slowly increase running time or distance until the participant can run for 30 minutes or complete a 5K. The first workout of the nine week, three-days a week, program begins and ends with a brisk five-minute walk and alternates 90 seconds of walking with 60 seconds of jogging. The workout plan and exercise log can be accessed online at no cost and there are also a number of apps available that time your workout, track your distance using GPS and allow you to keep a record of your workouts and progress.
Zumba Fitness
Zumba is all the rage these days. Zumba Fitness describes itself as “an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health.” Zumba offers several specialized classes that cater to different age groups and fitness goals. At www.zumba.com, you can find out when and where classes are meeting in your area or order Zumba DVDs if you prefer the flexibility of working out at home.
Boot Camp
If you are ready to kick your workouts into high gear, consider joining a fitness boot camp. These camps generally last 4-6 weeks and are held for hour-long sessions that typically include stretching, jogging, various calisthenics and team competitions. They are ideal for increasing strength, building camaraderie among camp participants and creating a habit of working out. Once you know the basics, it is an exercise routine that can travel with you anywhere.
Boot camps can be held in parks or in gyms and some have themes such as women only, boxing or kettle bells (a type of dumbbells).
CrossFit
As its name implies, CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program that incorporates cross-training with several different elements and exercises; it is scalable for different participants at different levels of fitness, from elite athletes and law enforcement officers to average citizens who just want to get healthy. There are more than 3,000 CrossFit affiliates across the country.
Ocea Skyhorse Mazenko, RN, CBE, staff nurse at Mercy Regional Medical Center’s Family Birth Center in Durango, Colo., began a CrossFit program in January 2012 after she won a one-month membership at a local Turkey Trot race.
“I used to look in the windows at the CrossFit gym and think, ‘I could never do that.’ But then I won the membership and I had to go,” she reflected. “I’d always been an aerobics kind of gal and I’d break a sweat a little. But I love Crossfit because it challenges me and I’m doing things like circuits, pull-ups and weight lifting that I never thought I could do. It is hard core.”
At the same time, Mazenko changed her eating habits and entered a local lose-to-win contest. Over the past three months she has lost 33 pounds and gone down about three clothing sizes.
Mazenko asserts that exercising and eating right help her to be more alert during her shifts, to provide better patient care and to be a more patient mother when she gets home from work.
“Nurses should be concerned with being in shape because it doesn’t give us a lot of credibility when we are teaching our patients about diet, exercise and making lifestyle changes, while wearing extra-large scrubs,” she commented.
Yoga
Yoga can be an ideal exercise for nurses, particularly as a pre- or post-shift workout. Not only does yoga stretch and strengthen the body and improve balance, it also helps to clear and focus the mind, creating rejuvenation after an intense shift, or clarity and readiness before working with patients. While yoga can be physically demanding, there are also classes that focus more on bringing peace and rest to body; this can offer a great transition from working the night shift to sleeping during the day.
Lots of city recreational centers and private studios offer yoga classes, so grab your mat and find one that fits your schedule and budget.
Whatever fitness routine you choose, remember that making a commitment to your health is good for you, your family and your patients. So get moving!
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