By Titan Medical

January 12, 2023

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Enjoy Your Travel Journey While Staying Active!

Titan Medical Group provided this article.

Traveling around the country for your career may make it difficult to find a steady workout routine that accommodates your schedule! As a travel healthcare worker, finding a gym can be tricky!

Luckily, there are options for gym memberships that allow you to use your membership at any of their locations across the country. This is the perfect option for all gym lovers or people who enjoy staying active while on your travel journey, especially when it revolves around your healthcare career!

While some of these options are more costly than others, pick somewhere that best fits your needs, lifestyle, and budget.

Great gym options to help you stay active while on your travel journey:

1. Planet Fitness

Planet Fitness is one of the most popular gyms for anyone looking to stick to the basics and get a good workout on, mainly because all locations are open 24 hours! They have a wide variety of machines to target most exercises. From cardio machines to ab machines and dumbbells up to 100 lbs. Planet Fitness offers many workout options! As a traveler, you’d want to choose the Planet Fitness Black Membership, as it allows you access to any of their locations nationwide. This membership costs about $23 a month with a $39 annual fee (once a year). They offer showers and well-maintained locker rooms for anyone on the go!

2. Gold’s Gym

This gym is known for being the most popular out of the popular gym chains! While this gym is known for “lifting” purposes, they offer many cardio machines to get your heart rate going. If you’re new to lifting or like the group workout environment, you can use one of their personal certified trainers or go to a group fitness class that they offer at all of their gyms! The cost of this gym varies based on which city you’re in, but all are around the $55 a month range with a $59 startup fee.

3. 24-Hour Fitness

24- Hour Fitness is another great option for travel healthcare workers as their 24-hour gyms are perfect for those who need to work out at specific times. 24-hour Fitness is known to be a “step up” from the average Planet Fitness as they offer more variety with their free-weight barbell option and weight plates. They also provide group training for a wide variety of workouts such as HIIT, cycling, strength, and dancing. The cost of this gym ranges from $40-$50, depending on your location, with a $49 annual fee.

4. OrangeTheory Fitness

OrangeTheory is a gym where a certified OT coach leads each workout! The workout changes each day and is the same for every location! OT is an excellent workout for endurance training, strength training, cardio, running, etc. They offer heart monitors for members to wear to track their workouts and keep track of their workout statistics. Their known for the amazing community they create, so this is a great option if you’re looking to meet new people! Their membership costs are more than your traditional gym, with memberships ranging from $60 to $160 depending on how often you go per week.

5. Pure Barre

This studio offers group classes that combine pilates, yoga, ballet, and small movements. This type of workout targets strengthening the entire body and is just as challenging as traditional weight training but different as it’s low-impact. The classes are typically 50 minutes long and vary in intensity. This gym costs more than most; you can expect to pay up to $199 each month for an unlimited membership.

6. Crunch Fitness

Crunch Fitness is an excellent option for those looking for a clean and friendly gym that offers a wide variety of equipment. It is a traditional gym where you get the strength training machinery, cardio equipment, free weights, and turf area. Some of their facilities offer saunas and spas! Access to all of their locations is about $22 per month with an annual fee of $15.

Always remember that it can always be nerve-racking to try out a new gym. However, remember that every person at that gym is there for themselves, just like you are. If you’re going to a traditional gym to do your own personal workout, it’s a good idea to have a plan before going! No one knows where everything is on their first visit to a new gym, so never be hesitant to ask where things are.

Find the place that works for YOU. Being more expensive doesn’t always mean it’s better for you; find somewhere which matches your lifestyle and goals! Constantly traveling to new destinations for work doesn’t have to take a toll on your fitness and lifestyle goals. With plenty of gyms available nationwide, you can find a place to go that you’re comfortable and happy with, no matter where you are!

We hope this article with tips for staying active while on your travel journey was helpful. Have you found ways to stay active while on your travel journey? Comment them below.

At Titan Medical, we have assignments across the country for you to find your place. If you’re ready for your next travel assignment, give Titan Medical a call today at 866.332.9600 or check out our website at Titanmed.com, and we’d love to assist in finding your next adventure!

Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. We have you covered with our housing page if housing is an issue. You can search for what you are looking for.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

By The Gypsy Nurse

March 1, 2022

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How to Make Exercise More Enjoyable On a Busy Schedule

As a travel nurse, it’s common to feel so bogged down with work that you neglect your physical health. Even if you have the time, other hurdles like gymtimidation, or the fear of being judged when exercising in public, can pose yet another interference to your fitness goals.

Despite your busy schedule, among other challenges, it’s important to prioritize your physical wellbeing. Keep reading to learn tips for overcoming those hurdles and making exercise a part of your routine.

Gain Confidence

If you plan to exercise in front of others (or even, at times, by yourself), insecurity and anxiety can make you feel unmotivated to get started. To prevent a lack of confidence from getting in the way of your exercise routine, try to give yourself a pep talk. 

Remind yourself that other people are focused on their own workouts and that your physical health is worth prioritizing. You deserve to take up space in the gym just as much as everybody else.

Ask for Advice

Don’t know your way around a gym? The confusion and stress can make working out feel more like a burden than self-care. 

If you’re unsure about your form or how to use certain equipment, ask a fitness trainer or floor manager for advice. You might feel scared to ask at first, but just think of how empowered you’ll feel with the new knowledge.

If asking a trainer or employee doesn’t feel right, consider turning to a friend or family member who goes to the gym regularly. Ask them for tips on how to use the equipment and how to feel more comfortable at the gym.

Find the Gym for You

When you already have a busy schedule, going to a gym you don’t like will likely be the last thing on your to-do list. Try choosing a gym with features that actually make you want to attend. You’ll want to keep the following considerations in mind:

  • Distance from work or home
  • Gym culture
  • Peak hours 
  • Business hours
  • Fitness classes

If you like the gym you’re visiting, you’ll have more of an incentive to go.

Create an At-home Workout Routine

If you don’t have time to go to the gym, try creating an at-home workout routine you love. Even without all the exercise equipment at a typical gym, you can meet your fitness goals by trying bodyweight workouts. 

Great options for at-home exercise include squats, crunches, push-ups, and more. Just be sure to use a mirror to check on your form.

Get a Workout Buddy

Working out alone can sometimes feel unmotivating and scary, especially if you’re newer to a gym. To make yourself more comfortable, bring a friend or coworker to the gym or ask them to go for a jog or hike with you. 

With someone else by your side, you can tackle your fitness goals and have a personal cheerleader encouraging you along the way.

It can be tough to make time for your physical health when you’re so busy helping others at work. However, prioritizing your own fitness doesn’t have to be impossible. By dismantling other hurdles to exercise, making regular trips to the gym will feel much more doable.

For more tips and information on overcoming hurdles to exercise, check out the infographic below, courtesy of Tommy John.

Infographic:

exercise

We hope you found these tips on how to make exercise more enjoyable on a busy schedule helpful. Do you have any tips for fellow travel nurses for making exercise more enjoyable with a busy schedule? Comment them below.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you need housing for an upcoming assignment? Click here to search our housing page.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

By Sancket Kamdar

January 19, 2022

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11 Versatile CrossFit Dumbbell Workouts to Look Snatched

Fan of CrossFit training but got only dumbbells to work out? Don’t worry; it’s all good because you are about to acquire powerful knowledge about the most versatile and effective CrossFit equipment – dumbbells.

CrossFit workout regimes are often associated with barbells, kettlebells, and medicine balls, but if you thought that dumbbells were only for bicep curls, think again. The 2017 CrossFit Games made it clear that dumbbells are great CrossFit training equipment, and much can be achieved if you know the best CrossFit dumbbell movements. Moreover, dumbbells take up less space, are easily available, and can be used for doing many other exercises.

Benefits of CrossFit Dumbbell Workouts

Get a pair of dumbbells with a weight that challenges you enough, and you can perform an array of CrossFit exercises that will help you burn fat as well as build muscles effectively. Dumbbells are also easier on your joints than barbells due to the increased range of unilateral motion. Here’s the kicker: They are also great at diagnosing and treating body imbalances, that is, making your left arm equally stronger as your right arm through repeated training.

If you are looking to get a pair for your home gym, you can go for hex dumbbells which are popular for their ergonomic design, durability, and budget-friendliness.

CrossFit Dumbbell Workouts:

From working your shoulders to toning your thighs, you will love programming these dumbbell CrossFit WODs at home or the gym.

Note: While the recommended weight for most dumbbell movements is given below, consider scaling up to something heavier to challenge yourself further.

1. Dumbbell Run

Dumbbell weight: 2×50/35 lbs

  • The drill: For time
  • Run 400 meters
  • 20 Dumbbell Clean-and-Presses
  • Run 400 meters
  • 20 Dumbbell Thrusters
  • Run 400 meters
  • 20 Dumbbell Burpees and Presses
  • Run 400 meters

2. Dumbbell Downfall

Dumbbell weight: 2×45/25 lbs

  • The drill: 5 rounds for time
  • 5 Man Makers (1 dumbbell push-up, two renegade rows (one per arm), and a squat clean thruster)
  • 10 Dumbbell Lunges
  • 15 Toes-to-Bars
  • 20 Burpees

3. Freight Train

Dumbbell weight: 2×50 lbs

  • The drill: 3 rounds for time
  • 10 Dumbbell Thrusters
  • 15 Burpees
  • 30 Air Squats

4. Tomilson (To honor: Jon Thomas TuMileson)

Dumbbell weight: 2×60/40 lbs

  • The drill: 8 rounds for time
  • 200-meter Run
  • 11 Dumbbell Burpee Deadlifts

5. Nick (To honor: Nicholas P. Steinbacher)

Dumbbell weight: 2×45/35 lbs

  • The drill: 12 rounds for time
  • 10 Dumbbell Hang Squat Cleans
  • 6 Handstand Push-Ups on Dumbbells (Do normal push-ups if you can’t do the handstand ones)

6. Helton (To honor: Lt. Joseph D. Helton)

Dumbbell weight: 2×50/35 lbs

  • The drill: 3 rounds for time
  • 800-meter Run
  • 30 Dumbbell Squat Cleans (2×50/35 lb)
  • 30 Burpees

7. Hotel Hell (Popularized by: Chris Spealler)

Dumbbell weight: 2×35/25 lbs

  • The drill: For time
  • 100 Dumbbell Hang Clean Thrusters
  •  5 Burpees to start, and at the top of each minute

8. Painstrom XV (Popularized by: CrossFit Central Scotland)

Pick your own dumbbell weight

The drill: 7 rounds for time

  • 10 Man Makers (1 dumbbell push-up, two renegade rows (one per arm), and a    squat clean thruster)
  • 20 Dumbbell Deadlifts
  • 30 Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatches (15 per side)
  • 40 Single-Arm Overhead Lunges (20 per side)
  • 50 Dumbbell Swings

9. Joseph Marchbanks Jr. (To honor: Joseph Marchbanks Jr.)

  • Dumbbell weight: 2×75/45 lbs
  • The drill: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps for time
  • Alternating Dumbbell Snatches (75/45 lb)
  • Handstand Push-Ups (Do normal push-ups if you can’t do the handstand ones)

10. Makimba (To honor: Makimba Mimms)

Dumbbell weight: 2×10 lbs (This is for kids. You can scale up as per your strength)

  • The drill: 15-10-5 reps for time
  • Dumbbell Thrusters
  • Air Squats
  • Burpees

11. Home Core (Popularized by: Margaux Alverez)

Dumbbell weight: 2×50/35 lbs

  • The drill: 3 rounds for time
  • 15 Dumbbell Sit-Ups
  • 20 Dumbbell Russian Twists
  • 10 Right Side Plank with Hip Raises
  • 10 Left Side Plank with Hip Raises
  • 10 V-Ups

You may not have the exact dumbbell weight mentioned for every workout above; in that case, try to do the best with what you have – add more reps if you have lesser weight or do fewer reps if you have heavier weights. These CrossFit exercises will fire up those muscles and give you a good sweat session for sure. Don’t forget to start with a good warm-up routine and end with a cooldown. Lastly, listen to your body and go at your own pace to scale it up gradually.

We hope that we have given you enough dumbbell-only CrossFit workouts that you can perform anywhere, anytime, to get moving. Challenge yourself to get that snatched body ASAP with only a pair of dumbbells (and your body strength).

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you need housing for an upcoming assignment? Click here to search our housing page.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

By The Gypsy Nurse

December 16, 2021

2847 Views

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The Best Time of Day to Work Out

Whether you work out in the morning or the evening probably depends on your schedule and what you feel works best for you. Ultimately, there’s no real answer to what time of day is best for working out because everyone lives with different biological and environmental circumstances. 

That said, there are pros and cons that come from working out during different times of the day. For example, in the morning you might wake up feeling energized, while in the evening you feel burnt out from work. In contrast, in the morning, your muscles may be stiff, whereas in the evening, they are warmed up and ready to get fit

To help you decide what time of the day is optimal for your workout sessions, below we’ve outlined the benefits and drawbacks of working out in the morning and the evening.

Morning Workouts

While morning workouts aren’t for everyone, they yield an assortment of benefits. For example, some of the advantages of working out in the morning include: 

  • Energy: Morning workouts leave you feeling energized and ready to face the day.
  • Testosterone: Your testosterone levels are higher in the morning, meaning that it could be easier to handle intense workouts.
  • Routine: Exercising in the morning can be the perfect morning routine to build momentum for the rest of the day. Morning runs can do wonders for your energy levels throughout the day. Just make sure that you have the appropriate women’s running shoes on hand!

Working out in the morning, however, isn’t always the best move. While getting your blood flowing in the morning can be the perfect way to start off the day for some, for others, the drawbacks outweigh the advantages. Some of the drawbacks of morning workouts include:

  • Stiffness: When you first wake up, your muscles may feel tight and stiff, making it difficult to get into the flow of exercise. 
  • Waking Up Early: If you need to wake up early to get your exercise done before work, it could be difficult to get out of bed at all. 
  • Sleep: Waking up early for your workout could mean you don’t get enough sleep. This could require you to go to bed earlier.

Evening Workouts

Some people swear by working out in the evening. An after-work exercise can be just the thing you need to blow off some steam and relieve stress after a long day. Here are some of the best benefits that come with evening workouts:

  • Enhanced Performance: Since your muscle temperature is at its peak and your blood is flowing from moving throughout the day, evening workouts could result in enhanced performance.
  • Stress Relief: As we mentioned before, after a stressful day at work, exercise can be a great way to relieve stress and decompress. 
  • Positive Momentum: If you normally have bad habits such as watching TV after work, exercising can be a great replacement habit that builds positive momentum for the rest of the day.

Of course, just like working out in the morning, exercise in the evening also has its drawbacks. This makes sense, given that sometimes the workday can tire people out to the point where they just want to rest and relax upon returning home. Here are some of the biggest disadvantages of working out in the evening:

  • Lack of Motivation: After work, particularly if you work a physically demanding job, working out may be the last thing you want to do.
  • Disrupted Sleep Patterns: Working out gives you a boost of energy that could keep you awake at night, leaving you groggy and tired the next day.
  • Workout Equipment Lines: Since people often work out in the evening, if you’re going to a gym, you may have to wait in line before you can use the equipment you need. This can be frustrating and make your workout take longer than it needs to.

Conclusion

The best time to work out in a day varies from person to person. To decide when you should exercise for optimal results, weigh the pros and cons of morning and evening workouts. You may even want to do a trial run where you test how it feels to exercise at different times of the day. 

Remember, the most important thing about exercising is to remain consistent. For this reason, it’s important to choose the time of day that works best for you and your schedule. For more information about when the best time is to exercise, check out the infographic below. 

work out

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you have an assignment but

By MedPro Healthcare Staffing

December 21, 2020

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WHO Announces New Exercise Guidelines and Amount People Should Be Getting

This article was provided by: MedPro Healthcare Staffing.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new weekly physical activity guidelines to maintain a healthy lifestyle as we approach the new year.

WHO has advised adults to tally 150 minutes, or roughly 2.5 hours, of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week, including those with chronic conditions or disabilities. For those aged 64 and over, racking up 150-300 minutes of moderate activity, including 75-150 of vigorous exercise, can help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and even early death.

The organization had previously stated it was a necessity to garner 150 minutes of moderate exercise. Or at least 75 minutes of intense exercise each week, but that was recommended for healthy adults.

On the other end of the spectrum, young adults, children, and adolescents should all be getting up to 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous exercise-per-day. These activities should include cardio-based exercises like jogging, biking, and rowing, but also strength-enhancing workouts too.

As COVID-19 continues to surge, it is important for individuals to not only abide by social distancing protocols but also put in the necessary time to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Especially those at risk, like people with chronic heart conditions and metabolic or respiratory issues.

Our healthcare professionals work hard enough to help us stay healthy, so finding time to help themselves can sometimes go overlooked. Traveling nurses are always on the go and tend to work long hours. Finding some ‘me’ time isn’t necessarily out of reach. However, this requires some proper planning to fit it into busy schedules. That said, here are a few tips for our travel nurses and allied professionals.

Train Your Mind and Your Body Will Follow

It is important to not only document your progress but to celebrate it as well. You need first to understand the benefits of physical activity and how it can improve your quality of life. As any healthcare industry professional will tell you, physical activity is not only great for one’s physique but great for the mind as well. Next, incorporate exercise into your daily routine and track your time spent, distance covered, and progression. We know that finding time for physical activity is difficult when travel nurses are putting in 12+ hour shifts, but if you can’t find time before- or after a shift, incorporate your movements into your daily routines! Write down your perceived barriers or obstacles and come up with a plan to conquer them. Lastly, note the benefits of your activities, shed any insecurities, and recognize all you have achieved as you progress.

Incorporate Your Peers

We could all use some motivation and encouragement. That said, bring your fellow healthcare professionals into the mix, stay active together, and learn new things. Consider carving out some time during the day for quick 5-10-minute bodyweight routines, like air squats, pushups, sit-ups, and v-ups, to name a few. Taking a break with a coworker to knock out some exercises, scaling a flight of stairs, or taking a brisk walk in the parking lot are a few great ways to keep moving! Sharing activities improve our interactions with our peers and help build friendships. In fact, just two minutes of exercise before critical thinking sessions can enhance and boost the mind.

Consider a Home Gym

Sometimes when people see the phrase, ‘home gym,’ they think this needs to be a $1,000+ job in completely overhauling a room, garage, cellar, etc., but that is not the case. One can carve a section out of a room and incorporate a few kettlebells, free weights, stationary bike, rowing machine, or yoga mat. This allows you to exercise on your time and have a safe space to do it as well. Personal space makes for improved efficiency and shifts your mentality to exercise more of a lifestyle than a perceived obligation.

Plus, you will not have to wait in line to use the equipment! Although some travel nurses are bouncing from location-to-location, it does not mean you do not qualify to ‘own’ a home gym. You can incorporate movements using readily available items, like squats with water bottles or two-liters, using towels to do various stretches in improving flexibility, or even doing some jumping jacks or air squats in an area that will allow for it.

Advance Your Career at MedPro Healthcare Staffing!

Healthcare companies are looking for travel nurses and allied professionals now, more than ever! We are among the top staffing companies in the country. And we offer our Explorers what no other company can, the MedPro Experience! To find out more, APPLY or call us at (800) 866-8108.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)