I work Night Shifts - training advice

Nairnster

HI there everyone

After a year or so of pretty much abusing my body in various ways (ooo-er) I have realised that I have to do something now about my weight/fitness levels.

I would definitely class myself as very unfit, and weigh 82kg at 5'9" tall with most of the weight around the middle, the worst place for it.

Now although I am unfit, I can ride 10 miles at an average speed of around 12mph without feeling too bad on the ride, although I know I have done it afterwards lol.

I am seeking advice on how best to train with the shifts I work.

I have a sedentary job working the following shift patterns:

Thur to Sun inclusive 1800 to 0700
Off
Sat and Sun 0700 to 1800
Mon to Wed inclusive 1800 to 0700
then off for 7 days until the Thursday


Typically I get home from work at about 0730, and need to leave for work at about 1720 at the latest.

How should I train? Light exercise/short rides on my work days, with the longer rides on my days off? Or should I try and do about the same level of rides on my work days too?

I want to be able to strike a balance between getting enough sleep, but doing enough exercise so as to be able to at least maintain fitness during my working days. Basically I dont want to have to start afresh every time my days off begin.


Please help!!! lol

ianbar

i work nights although not as long shifts, i do 22-00 till 06-00 sunday to thursday nights every week. i have started to go for a ride even just 30 mins 2-3 times a week during my working week and then a good long ride at the weekend, and if during the week i get chance to do longer then i do but i think just get out and do a bit when you can. i think you just get a routeen going and get used to it.

t.m.h.n.e.t

Is your job active or CCTV/Security or such,desk and console type stuff? How is your diet?

These questions are quite important (I took up cycling to aid recovery and 4stones worth of weightloss and learned a bit in the process)

Nairnster

its a sit down job, although I do walk the 1.5 miles to work (and back of course)

My diet needs improving, which I am doing at the same time.

My main concern is, as I am just starting out with the fitness, I don't want to be losing my gains at the start, by not doing enough during my working 'week'

Too old for this

I also work nights and ride to work 7.5 miles away, why dont you try leaving 15 mins earlier than normal and making the distance up to 5 or 6 miles each way, voila extra exercise and an enjoyable way to get to work. My case is rested.

Nairnster

Thanks for that advice. Whilst irs a great idea in theory and one i would love to do, no shower facilities make it less than ideal. All depends if i can get away with a strip wash at the sink lol

andy_wrx

To be honest, your working hours are no worse than most other people's - in fact better for cycling because they work during the day and then perhaps have a lengthy commute, whereas you have your off-time during the day when it's light and it's a quick walk 11/2 miles to work.

Many people in 'normal' Mon-Fri jobs fall into the 'weekend warrior' category of doing nothing during the week and then over-doing it at weekends, knacker themselves and then have recovered by the next weekend ready to do it again.

You actually have rather more days off, two blocks of 5 and 7 in a 3 week period rather than just 2 days at the weekend, so I'd suggest you try to do some longer efforts then, but you don't have to go and cripple yourself day after day, you can do a hard day-easy day-hard day-total day off-etc : work-out what suits you based around your other commitments, family, friends, etc

Then when you're working, do some shorter stuff and also recover from the longer efforts you did on your free days.
I guess when you swap from those 2 days of 'days' to 3 days of 'nights' then your body clock goes crazy, so perhaps don't over-push it then

You can of course vary intensity/pace/effort as well as length.
I work usual Mon-Fri but have some long days during the week when I have to go out on site.
If I'm home late, that's my day off/recovery day.
If I'm home earlier, I can go out for an hour or even just 1/2h and either push it as a hard training session (e.g. intervals, hills) on my TT bike or treat it as a gentle recovery/de-stress ride on my fixed bike
In winter it's the same on rollers or turbo
Then at weekends I'll do something a bit short and sharp on Saturday, the long run with the club on Sunday

Nairnster

I appreciate i get more time off, no doubt about it. Night shifts though, even in a sedentary job are very stressful to the body, so I want to make sure I dont do myself harm, whilst msintaining fitness or allowing an increase in fitness level.

i will try and do short 30 minute rides on my workdays, with longer rides/increased effort rides on my days off/interspersed with some weight training on the rest days.

You are right, going from days to nights does play havoc, and trying to maintain a regular eating pattern over this swingshift without either over or under-eating can be a pain also.

I guess I will just have to experiment to some extent using some of the advice from you guys, and see what works best.

Thanks for all your replies :-)

dennisn

Train during the day. Sorry couldn't resist.

anto164

How about riding to work, then doing a long route home?

Nairnster

After a 13 hour night shift, when I need to be going to sleep, working out and elevating my heart rate probably isnt the best thing to do.