September 7, 2022

1922 Views

Keeping in Shape is Essential to Your Health and Wellness While Travel Nursing

Posted on September 7, 2022August 29, 2022 by Kevin Devoto

Travel nursing is a rewarding field that is also strenuous. These nurses fill temporary positions in high-need areas to help local medical professionals meet regional health care demands. A travel nurse spends many nights out on the road. This puts stress on your body and health. Here are some benefits of staying fit while working as a travel nurse.

Boost Your Energy

A regular fitness routine will help improve your energy and reduce symptoms of fatigue. When you travel, you risk being sedentary for long periods. This can make you feel less energized. Regular activity, such as a carb cycling workout plan, is an excellent way to combat this. You can incorporate your workout for a time that is best for you. Getting your body moving creates energy that will provide an immediate spark for you and increase your stamina over time.

Stave Off Illness

Exercise has also been shown to help people fight off illness. A fitness routine can improve your immune system by keeping your body working in optimal condition. Working out regularly can be beneficial in managing chronic illnesses such as heart disease and high blood pressure. If you are working on a temporary assignment where your services are needed, you will not want to be sick while you are on location.

Keep Your Weight Healthy

While traveling and working under stressful conditions, you may not have time to focus on your diet. You might have to eat when it’s convenient, and the offerings may not be the healthiest. One way to mitigate eating on the run or not eating optimal foods is to exercise regularly. A healthy weight will also help you keep chronic medical conditions under control and help avoid developing new diseases.

Help Manage Anxiety and Depression

Traveling by itself can be very stressful and cause a lot of anxiety. If you are at a location where you do not have regular social interactions because you do not know anyone, you may also be prone to depression. Exercise is an excellent way to help deal with any feelings of anxiety or depression you may have. Working out boosts feel-good chemicals in your brain that can improve your mood instantly. You will also feel more relaxed and less anxious after exerting yourself.

Improve Your Sleep

If you travel regularly, you probably experience disruptions in your sleep. In addition, you may work odd hours as a temporary nurse. You want to take whatever steps you can to improve your sleep quality. Exercise is proven to help you sleep better. Sleep is essential for your daily functioning and overall health.

Increase Your Strength

Working out will help you build and maintain muscle mass. This will allow you to become stronger over time. Your daily nursing activities will be easier to get through if you have stronger muscles that can operate efficiently. Strength training can improve your balance to help you avoid falls.

Bolster Mental Acuity

Working in a demanding field like travel nursing may leave you feeling burned out mentally at the end of your day. Exercise has been shown to improve your cognitive function. This can help you with planning your day and switching between tasks. A regular fitness routine can also benefit your ability to focus when needed.

Travel nursing places many demands on you with traveling and working long, arduous shifts. Taking care of your body is extremely important to stay mentally and physically healthy. You will want to keep a routine to get maximum benefits from exercising.

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

START HERE

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

By Kevin Devoto

September 5, 2022

2080 Views

Staying Fit As a Travel Nurse

Posted on September 5, 2022August 2, 2022 by Kevin Devoto

Nursing is an incredibly physical profession. You’re on your feet all day, lifting patients, making beds, and doing everything you can to keep people comfortable. To be a successful nurse, you have to have some level of physical fitness. Without both mental and physical strength, your body will give up before you’re ready to retire. If you’re a travel nurse, here are some tips to help you stay fit.

Compound Your Movements

The first tip for you to stay fit as a travel nurse is to compound your movements. Because of your busy schedule, you don’t have time for long, drawn-out workouts that isolate each muscle for maximum definition. The solution? Big, compound movements that work for the entire muscle group. For instance, do squats rather than seated leg raises. You’ll still work out your quads, but you’ll also include your glutes, calves, and hamstrings in a single movement. Similarly, do bench presses instead of chest flies. You’ll work your chest, shoulders, and triceps instead of isolating your chest.

In addition to compounding your movements, take a pre-workout and post-workout nutrition supplement with you. These supplements give you helpful nutrients you need to maintain energy throughout your workout, allowing you to do big compound movements for a longer period. Choose supplements that have all-natural ingredients, so you can feel confident about what enters your body. Le-Vel Thrive reviews are positive, with many clients being professionals like you. If you combine natural pre-workout supplements with compound movements, you can improve your fitness.

Use Commercial Gyms

Another tip for staying fit as a travel nurse is to use commercial gyms. While these fitness centers may not have the homey and welcoming feel of your local gym, many chains are available nationwide. Getting a membership to a commercial gym such as Planet Fitness, Anytime Fitness, or 24-Hour Fitness gives you access to well-stocked gym facilities at any placement. As a travel nurse, you move around often. Having a standard, you can rely on will provide a sense of normalcy when you’re away from home.

A second benefit to commercial gym chains is that they all have similar equipment. When you get a membership to a gym chain, you can rely on each facility to have the same gear as the next. Each work placement has an adjustment period. You have to figure out your housing, your work, and the local grocery store, but your gym will always stay the same. When you’re a member of a commercial gym, you don’t have to relearn how to work out every time you move.

Have a Backup Plan

Finally, having a backup plan will help you stay fit as a travel nurse. If there isn’t a commercial gym in the community, you’re placed in, or you don’t like the environment of a busy fitness center, having a plan to work out at home is a must. While you may not be able to get the same effect from a home workout as you would from a gym, you can still stay fit and healthy. The beauty of the digital age provides many free workout programs on platforms such as Instagram and Youtube. Simply search the muscle group you want to work with and your experience level and get started.

Packing fitness gear with you while you move can help you maintain motivation. If you have a yoga mat and gym clothes, you’ll be more likely to exercise between shifts. Don’t let a lack of gear keep you from staying healthy. By packing your exercise materials with you on each move, you can encourage yourself to stay healthy and fit.

Overall, nursing is hard on your body. By staying fit, you can reduce the amount of damage your profession does to your joints and soft tissues.

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:

START HERE

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

By Lirika Hart

December 26, 2021

6505 Views

5 Steps to Reaching Your Fitness Goals This New Year

Posted on December 26, 2021January 16, 2023 by Lirika Hart

Many of us make fitness goals in the new year but achieving those goals is another struggle entirely. This article has been put together so that you can discover the five steps that will help you reach your goals. There are so many benefits to having fitness goals that you want to reach – not only will you look better, but you’ll also feel better and be healthier from the inside out.

1 – Make a plan

It is so important that you know what you want to achieve and have a plan in place to help you get there. First of all, you need to answer the question, why am I doing this? Looking good is awesome but the first and foremost reason should be your health. Set a TRACKABLE target on what you want to achieve. Maybe you want to be able to run a marathon by a certain date or perhaps you want to fit into a dress size. From there you can come up with a plan in whatever way works for you. Whether you track everything you eat, your workouts – or a combination of both.

2 – Put small changes in place

5 Steps to Reaching Your Fitness Goals This New Year

It is important that you don’t try to do too much too fast. You should start by incorporating small changes into your life and build it from there. You are not going to suddenly go from a couch potato to a health guru. Some things that you should start doing include drinking more water and eating more fruits/vegetables. You’ve probably heard that a million times before but it is very effective in reaching weight loss/fitness goals. From there, you should be incorporating more protein into your diet. There are so many healthy foods out there so do your research and don’t be afraid to experiment in the kitchen.

3 – Use a bicycle regularly

Cycling is a great way to build up your exercise regime, especially if you have not got your body moving for some time. You can get affordable beach cruisers and use them around your neighborhood. In addition to helping you lose weight, cycling will help you build muscle in your legs and butt. Beach cruisers are simple but really effective and they burn a ton of calories. Using a bike is also a great way to build your stamina, which is really important if you move up your fitness a level, which you can read about in the next point.

4 – Find an exercise that you love

If you make yourself do something that you absolutely hate physically, you are not going to stick to it and your fitness goals will become absolutely impossible. There are so many different types of exercise out there so it’s important that you find something you enjoy.

Whether that be dancing, swimming, running, aerobics, exercise classes at your local gym or something else entirely. Perhaps there is a sport you are interested in trying? When you find what it is that you love, it won’t even feel like exercise at all and you will reach your goals before you know it.

5 -Don’t weigh yourself too often

The average person can fluctuate around five pounds in weight PER DAY. Checking your progress purely by the number on the scale is not a good idea, particularly when you are working out. Stick to weighing yourself once a week at the very most and instead, track your progress in other ways. This includes the way that your clothes fit you, taking measurements on certain areas of your body can also be more accurate. Photos are also a really good representation of how your body has changed over time. If you are holding onto weight, stay consistent and they will drop off eventually.

Conclusion

By following the tips that have been mentioned in this article, you are guaranteed to reach your goal. Keep in mind that getting in shape is a slow and steady process – there is no race to the finish line. Eating healthy in addition to regular exercise (classic bikes are a great way to get around), is the best way to go about it. Start today and you will soon see some inspiring results!

We hope that these fitness goal tips help you to reach your fitness goals this year! Here is a great article with Easy Workouts for Travel Nurses.

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

START HERE

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

By christy Asah

February 21, 2021

5222 Views

A Mat and Two Dumbbells; Easy Exercises for Travel Nurses

Posted on February 21, 2021May 19, 2021 by christy Asah

One of our reasons for not working out as travel nurses is not making it to the gym. Maybe because of distance or time. This is very understandable, but then 100% is your mindset. I suggest using a mat and two dumbbells, and you will be good to go with working out at home, wherever that may be. The excuse of not being able to go to the gym is out the window. With equipment like two dumbbells makes working out so much easier on the road.

Now let’s talk about time!

I know that as busy travel nurses, your free time is precious. However, you do not need to exercise every day. All you need is a minimum of 30 mins/day for 3 days, and you are suitable for a start. Pick a day and time that is realistic and attainable for you. Are you a morning person? If yes, then my advice is to get your exercise in first thing in the morning when you wake up, and you are good to go for the day. Do you love working out in the evening? If yes, then do your workout in the evening but make sure this is attainable.

So now you have your mat, two dumbbells, day and time, what else!

This brings me to the answer mindset. Getting all these is not the problem, but the question is, are you ready? Are you 100% sure? Is your mindset ready? If yes, that is awesome, get to work! If you answer no but are willing 100%, then reach out for help. Start with a coach, which helps with accountability and consistency.

It is a good idea to compete with yourself. You are holding yourself accountable if you do not meet your goals. We are travel nurses. We are busy. But Stop! Think! Ask yourself this question, ‘When was the last time you said you have to start on a journey to fitness and nutrition?’ Probably ‘right now’ is the answer but did you ever get started on that? No. Why? The answer is; because it is commitment and consistency, and that is something we cannot afford or are afraid of.

30 mins is all you need to take care of you

So, why not take care of yourself? No one else can take care of you as you do. It is a healthy habit, and healthful habits are not what we are comfortable with. It comes with pain but remember “a strong body is made in absolute discomfort” until you start seeing results, you will never appreciate what you have.

Confused of what workouts to do?

Why not start working on your upper body on one day and your lower body on another day? Sign up for challenges where the workouts are already planned out for you, and all you need to do is sign up and get to work.

Here are some great videos for starting points.

We all know the importance of exercise, and yes, we get our steps in at work. What happens to the days you do not go to work?

I am a travel nurse, and I understand how hard it for us to keep up with our fitness and nutrition, but you can do it if you put your mind to it. Do not let negativity cloud your mind and take control.

Invest in yourself, it is a must!

If you want results, sign up for challenges. I had the same problem until I decided that it was time for me to invest in myself, and that was one of the best decisions I made without regrets.

Let me know in any way I can help. My job as a fitness and empowerment coach is to reach out, especially to my fellow nurses who are willing to embark on a fitness and nutrition journey.

Go follow @datmodernafricanurse on Instagram for more tips.

We hope you found this article on a mat and two dumbbells helpful. It is our hope that you took something away from it.

Want more information on travel nursing?

Check out our Travel Nurse Guide

By ONESTAFF MEDICAL

December 20, 2018

5153 Views

Maintaining Your Exercise Routine as a Travel Nurse

Posted on December 20, 2018May 20, 2021 by ONESTAFF MEDICAL

This article is sponsored by ONESTAFF Medical

Life as a traveling healthcare professional can keep you consistently moving. That’s good in several ways but it can make your exercise routine as a Travel Nurse difficult to maintain. This can be particularly difficult if your routine is built on a network of things you’re used to at home.

Recreating your home routine can be accomplished. Doing so is easier than you think. Like your travel career in general, adding your exercise routine to your new location requires a little extra planning. Here’s our advice on how you can move forward with your fitness goals, so you don’t miss a step … or sprint … or cycle.

Do a little research

You probably already did a fair amount of research before choosing your travel location, so now it’s time to do a little more based on your exercise routine as a Travel Nurse. For example, if you use a fitness center, do they have fitness centers of the same type in your new area? If you bike, what are the bike trails like where you’re going? Yoga? Classes available near you? Look at your options and travel with a plan in place. For example, if you’ve always dreamed of working out like “Awhnold” at the famous “Muscle Beach,” right off the boardwalk in Venice Beach, CA, check out our current California openings here.

Pack with your exercise routine in mind

Just as you pack what you’ll need to be successful in your role, so too should you pack what you’ll need to be successful in your exercise routine as a Travel Nurse. Workout clothes, your running shoes, even some free weights if you have the space. If bike riding is your thing, now’s the time to research bike rental options in your new area. If you can fit it, take it. If you can’t, find it there.

Complement your exercise with a healthy diet

When you’re new to an area, it’s easy to eat for convenience and that’s not always the healthiest choice. Social tools like Yelp can help you find restaurants in your new area offering healthy fare and it’s a good idea to lock down the location of a couple of these before you arrive to ward off any fast food desperation.

Find a workout buddy

Your health and fitness are important to you and, chances are, it’s important to some of your new coworkers as well. Don’t be afraid to network during your shifts to learn more about how people exercise in this area and to maybe even find a workout buddy. Having a fitness partner can keep you on task and ensure you don’t slack off, even while enjoying an amazing travel experience.

Boost Your Energy

Stave Off Illness

Keep Your Weight Healthy

Help Manage Anxiety and Depression

Improve Your Sleep

Increase Your Strength

Bolster Mental Acuity

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!)

Related Posts

Travel Nursing Fitness Tips

Travel Nurse Fitness and Nutrition Tips

How To Look After Your Mental Health During The Coronavirus Pandemic

Categories

Hot Jobs

Recent Articles

Compound Your Movements

Use Commercial Gyms

Have a Backup Plan

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!)

Related Posts

Colon Cancer Awareness Month: Resources and Information

Dealing With Stress This Holiday Season

4 Ways to Improve Your Health While Working Nonstop

Categories

Hot Jobs

Recent Articles

1 – Make a plan

2 – Put small changes in place

3 – Use a bicycle regularly

4 – Find an exercise that you love

5 -Don’t weigh yourself too often

Conclusion

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!)

Related Posts

5 Major Components for a Healthy Lifestyle for Travel Nurses

Day Tripping in San Diego

Love on the Road as a Travel Nurse Couple

Categories

Hot Jobs

Recent Articles

Now let’s talk about time!

So now you have your mat, two dumbbells, day and time, what else!

Sign up for challenges

30 mins is all you need to take care of you

Confused of what workouts to do?

Want more information on travel nursing?

Check out our Travel Nurse Guide

Related Posts

Eating Healthy On-the-Road

4 Tips For Coping With Travel Nursing Stress

New Year’s Resolutions for Travel Nurses

Categories

Hot Jobs

Recent Articles

Do a little research

Pack with your exercise routine in mind

Complement your exercise with a healthy diet

Find a workout buddy

Related Posts

Comfort Meals for Travel Nurses to Try This Fall

5 Tips to Stay Healthy as a Travel Nurse

Travel Nursing with Families

Categories

Hot Jobs

Recent Articles