How to fit the gym around your shift life! 18 Sep

Working shifts and trying to fit your life around can be tricky. It’s easy to skip working out to spend more time at home. It doesn’t have to be this way though!

Many workers can begin to see a decline in their health once they start working shifts. This can be from lack of sleep, irregular eating habits or the effects of shift work on their mental health. All of this can begin to affect the way you live and act. Exercise is the perfect way to combat this, though!

How does exercise help?

Working out is known to help release endorphins that help improve your mood and decrease anxiety, depression or other mental health conditions. Working out, or just having half an hour of intense exercise, can help boost your mood and work towards you feeling better in yourself and in the way you work.

Taking time for yourself, away from work and stress, can help you to relax. Exercising is fantastic for distracting you from daily troubles and getting you to feel good about yourself. Practising a few yoga poses is incredible for helping your mind to relax, bringing physical and mental exercise together, helping you to focus on yourself. For manual workers, or if you’re driving daily, these movements and stretches can help to loosen and unwind your muscles, particularly in your back!

Working shifts, whether night or day, can wear you down and exhaust you. This can lead to lower energy levels and sleep deprivation – not something you want! Exercise is excellent for helping you to feel energised again and improve your cardiovascular health and fitness. This helps more blood and oxygen move around your body and get it flowing and working more, filling you full of energy again!

Exercise can also help with sleep deprivation, especially when working those night shifts! Physical activity helps with deep sleep which contributes towards building and improving your immune system. A vigorous workout uses plenty of energy, wearing you out and helping you get ready to rest and recharge! This is a perfect way to help tire your body out and focus on getting a well-needed sleep.

How can Brio help you with exercise?

Finding a great gym membership for a great price is just as hard as finding the time to exercise! With our WorkFit Membership, you can have the Premier Membership perks at a discounted price, giving you access to eight gyms, six pools, fitness classes and so much more across West Cheshire!

Or even better, take advantage of our quiet times! These are perfect for you to enjoy when working shifts too! These hours are when our centres are at their quietest; with the lack of people in the gym, you’re able to try out equipment that would usually be busy! Try out new exercises you wouldn’t often try, with fewer distractions so you can focus on yourself and reaching your fitness goals.

After a night shift, you’re unlikely to head to the gym; however, try planning something around your shifts, maybe a catch up with friends around a game of squash or dance with family in Clubbercise! For those who are up early in the morning, a dip in the pool can be an invigorating start to the day.

Sitting down for long periods in a day can also have a substantial effect on physical and mental health; try out these stretches to help relax your muscles at home!

Don’t forget that our WorkFit Membership can be used by family members, or anyone living with you! Take advantage of this discount, encouraging your close ones to increase their exercise too.

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