Working nights can be demanding on your body and mind and too often general health and fitness advice doesn’t take those demands into consideration.  Approximately fifteen million Americans work night shifts or rotating shifts with irregular schedules.  Unfortunately, night shifts and swing shifts are often associated with health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, obesity and cancer.  How can night-shift workers maintain healthy lifestyles? FitClub has advice that can help!

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1.  Fit your workouts in on your schedule.  Maybe you can’t make it to FitClub at 5PM or over the noon hour like others can, but FitClub’s convenient hours, varied group exercise classes, and multiple locations make it easy for anyone’s schedule to accommodate a vigorous workout.  Whether you perform best before your night shift begins or when you’re ready to unwind after a long work night, FitClub is there for you and ready to provide the workout you need to stay healthy and get fit.

2.   Prioritize high quality sleep.  Sleep is the magic potion that allows our bodies to repair, our immune system to thrive, and our ability to manage weight, anxiety and depression.  While most of us are asleep, though, night shift workers are hard at work.  Falling asleep when the sun is shining is particularly difficult and yet, skimping on sleep is detrimental to physical and mental well being.  For this reason, night shift workers should prioritize a sleep routine that can help to reset the body’s natural circadian rhythm.  Bedrooms should be kept cool and dark with the use of blackout shades or choose to sleep in a room with few windows.  Activities that keep us awake (using cell phones, watching upsetting programs, or dealing with stressful events) should be avoided after a night shift worker ends his or her shift.  It’s also a practical reason to let your friends and family know what hours of each day you cannot be disturbed.  Most of us wouldn’t call a friend at 2:00AM, and asking for the same respect on your schedule is a practical request.

3.  Take extra steps to prepare healthy foods.  Unfortunately, if healthy food isn’t easily available when you leave your night shift, you’ll likely find that the only food options include unhealthy all-night drive through foods.  Taking time on your day off or between shifts to prepare vegetables, fruit, and lean meat can save you valuable hours and expand your options to include easy to prepare meals.  Planning ahead for snacks and meal breaks during your shift can help you avoid the constant threat of the vending machine, sugary drinks, and high fat junk food.

Taking time to plan and prepare your healthy lifestyle is integral in avoiding the health conditions too frequent in night shift workers.  FitClub is here for your workouts, meditations, and your day to day health and fitness needs.  

If you’ve ever worked the night shift, leave your tips for staying healthy and prioritizing your wellness in the comments for your fellow FitClub members!