7 Types of Exercises Nurses Can Include in Their Routine

Exercise plays a crucial role in everyone’s lives. Yet, for nurses, physical wellness often takes a back seat since they are so busy helping others with their health. Nursing demands you to stay physically and mentally active because it is a time-consuming and overwhelming profession. For a 12-hour shift and beyond, nurses must retain their strength and stamina at work. Otherwise, they might lose their efficiency or feel demotivated to deal with patients and coordinate with doctors.

A nurse’s job entails looking after patients, managing appointments, and dealing with doctors and surgeons about daily work schedules. Due to this hectic schedule, a nurse practitioner must maintain good mental and physical health.

Moreover, nurses can develop health issues over time because of their stressful working hours, neglected diet, and insufficient sleep patterns. Therefore, they must take care of themselves to look after others. Nurses can stay fit and healthy by incorporating exercise into their daily routines.

Incorporating exercise into your busy schedule must seem impossible, especially if you are a registered nurse continuing your education alongside work.

Fortunately, nurses can easily enroll in an online degree program and manage their work, studies and workout. Not just that, but switching to online learning can help alleviate stress levels and give you greater flexibility. Therefore, applying for an rn to nurse practitioner online degree might benefit your career and health.

In order to stay physically fit, try incorporating the following exercises into your routine and stay healthy while managing work and studies.

High knees

This is one of the most important exercises for someone in the nursing profession. By engaging your knees, glutes, hamstring, calves, and hip flexors, you can increase your physical strength, balance, and coordination. Simply remain still and alternately lift each knee as close to your torso as possible without using your arms for the workout. You can then use lightweight dumbbells to take it to the next level. By doing this exercise every day for 10 to 15 minutes, you will soon see a major difference in your posture. 

Squats

By doing squats regularly, you can build powerful hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves. Squats are everyone’s favorite exercise, as it improves posture and helps regain muscle strength. For lengthy shifts, nurses require strength and stamina to fulfill their duties timely. So, take some time out for squats and help your ankles and knees stay active and in good shape. Start with 10-20 squats daily and increase your pace over time.

Reverse lunges

The good thing about reverse lunges is that anyone can do it easily. This exercise does not require weight-lifting unless you want to add some to your routine. Your glutes and quadriceps will get toned by this great exercise.

While doing this exercise, you are required to maintain an erect posture. Start by standing straight, then gradually bend one side of your leg while keeping your back straight. Form a 90-degree angle and stay in this position for a few minutes. Repeat this on each side for 10 minutes to improve your posture and strengthen your body.

Single-leg deadlift

Another best way to strengthen your hamstrings and glutes is through a single-leg deadlift daily. This exercise also contributes to straightening your back.

Stand with your feet close to each other and slowly lift one side of your leg away from the ground. Now, firmly lift your leg and make a 90-degree angle. Make sure to flex your foot and keep your back straight. You can carry dumbbells, too, if you want to. Hold onto this position for 5 minutes while taking deep breaths. Afterward, do the same with the other leg. In the beginning, you may feel like you are losing balance, but if you practice it daily, you will see a positive change in your figure.

Planks

You must have heard about planks or done it as a part of some challenge before. It is yet another famous and beneficial exercise that might look difficult initially. However, doing planks plays a significant role in maintaining a good figure and healthy body. As for nurses, they are required to maintain their balance to avoid injuries at work.

Start off by placing your forearms on the ground while keeping your back straight. At first, you might be unable to do it properly, but once you start doing it regularly, you will see a good change in your body. Your spine, trapezius, and abdominal muscles are strengthened by doing planks daily. Try to take out 5 minutes from your busy schedule and do planks with the right determination.

Dumbbell row

As a nurse, you might often lift your patients, interact with them, and guide them to their rooms. All of this requires a lot of movement daily.

Doing dumbbell rows every day can help make your back muscles stronger. Muscles used in this exercise are latissimus dorsi, trapezius, teres major, rhomboids, and deltoid muscle. Do this exercise twice a week; start with a lighter dumbbell, and increase weights over time. The key is to increase your stamina with weightlifting so that you can work efficiently as a nurse.

Jumping jacks

Jumping jacks are also known as side straddle hops. You can easily do jumping jacks anywhere at any time. It is a great cardiovascular exercise, and a lot of people enjoy doing it as well.

Stand in a supine position, then gradually spread your legs widely with your hands moving upwards. Now jump while doing these two things together and create an ongoing loop. You will feel your heart rate increase as you do it repeatedly. Jumping jacks help in burning calories and improve your muscles’ endurance. Keep doing this exercise for a week straight, and you will soon get hooked on it. 

The Bottom Line

Exercising every day will help enhance your health and lower the risk of health problems. So, what are you waiting for? By incorporating the exercises mentioned above, you could completely improve your life and nursing routine. Take at least thirty minutes every day for yourself and see the remarkable changes in your body.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.