Staying Healthy When You Work Weird Hours

Samantha Olivier, November 13, 2017

Not everyone is overjoyed to lead a 9-5 lifestyle. In fact, many people are going to great lengths to escape this vicious cycle. Then again, breaking your back doing odd hours is not the most favorable position to be in. You might be an eager beaver, but work eventually takes a toll on all of us. So, it is high time to get down to the brass tacks and see how your work patterns impact your health and well-being.

A ladder out of the pitfall

A lot of modern jobs require you to keep your nose to the grindstone and do it at crazy hours. Working 12+ night shifts, for instance, is not unheard of, not if you are a nurse or a doctor. Other night responders have also turned standard schedules on their heads.

Well, know that there is always a way to set things right, even when tackling off hours, different time zones, overnight shifts, and backward routines that impede sleep patterns. You will have to become the master of preparation, the student of planning, and lord of time management. “I don’t have time” is more an excuse than anything else. Get active and reconsider your habits and lifestyle.

Eat your way to good health

So, here we go. Rule number one: diet is king. It accounts for 80-90% of your efforts to stay healthy. Thus, always remember to pack your meals for work. Do not eat simply what you find along the way.

Steer away from fad and crash diets. Your sole focus should be eating wholesome, nutrient-packed food, not preoccupying yourself with caloric number crunching. A well-balanced diet is built around carbs, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and good fats. Therefore, consume fresh produce and avoid canned and sugar-tainted foods like the plague.

Steer clear of any form of empty liquid calories (sorry, no sodas and energy drinks) and opt for nutritious smoothies. Think in terms of meals you can easily prepare and heat up in the office.

For instance, keep a bag of frozen vegetables in the fridge at work. Microwave some sweet potatoes and get your daily dosage of carbs. You can keep drinking your coffee; just do not go overboard with it. And to bridge the nutrient gap in your diet, make good to use quality supplements from trusted brands like Renew Life.

Witness the fitness

Boredom often bites hard during work hours, so how about you keep it at bay by standing up, walking around, and stretching your legs? Take frequent, short breaks to mitigate the grave impact of all that sitting on your health. Embed short bursts of activity into your daily routine and spread exercise out if need be: take the stairs instead of the elevator, do not drive when you can cycle, try a sneaky office workout.

Exercise does not have to be a long, tedious ordeal. Try to perceive it from an efficiency standpoint. After all, to reap amazing health and fitness benefits, you can go for high-intensity or strength training and spend only 20 minutes breaking a sweat. With whole-body movements, you recruit all your major muscle groups and torch a tremendous number of calories.

There is no need to go to the gym when you can squeeze this explosive training session in before you go to work. Even if you have to cut your shuteye time a bit shorter, rest assured that it will be more than worth it. So, if you are in the doldrums after work, consider the following: the more you move, the more energy you have and the less fatigue you have to cope with.

Stay on the ball

Those who can’t stand the pace and struggle to figure out how to stay healthy should take a deep breath. Work obligations must not be a convenient excuse to go to Taco Bell and become a couch potato. Be smart about your time. Exercise here and there, eat healthy everywhere. All your everyday choices add up and every little bit is certainly better than nothing. Take care of yourself while you are working and navigate the treacherous waters of work and life as right as rain.

About the Author

Samantha Olivier

Samantha has a B.Sc. in Nutrition, and has spent two years working as a personal trainer. Since then, she has embarked on a mission to conquer the blogosphere. She collects running shoes and is always training for the next 10k – she has so far run 4. You can find her on Twitter, and read more of her work at Ripped.me