Staying Fit In Residency

Everyone does wellness a different way. One of the best ways (for me, and also a LOT of my friends) to burn off steam after a hard stretch of shifts in the hospital is through physical activity. Trust me, it’s not always easy to do it - my feet hurt, I’d rather sleep, etc, etc. But the pros outweigh the cons here in the long run (no pun intended). Let’s get into it.

The first hurdle I needed to get over when attempting to stay physically fit during residency was to reframe what I considered “exercise”. In a past life, I was a big HIIT workout, long run girlie. If I wasn’t completely exhausted, I didn’t consider it a workup. I quickly came to realize that not only did I not have the time to do this in residency, but I was way too exhausted too as well. When I started acknowledging that some days would be a “walk after work” kind of day, it kept me motivated to workout other days as well. Consistency wins here, people.

As best you can, get outside with your exercise. Get that Vitamin D while also getting in that exercise. Seeing the sun can help to regulate your days/nights especially if coming off a long stretch of night.

Make exercise social! I got this advice when I was in medical school, and it has really stuck with me through the course of medical training. Think, two birds with one stone. When possible, hit up a workout class with a friend, call your mom while taking a walk or even just take the same Peloton class and talk about it later! This helps build your social relationships while also giving yourself the time you need to focus on your physical wellbeing.

If I could give anyone going through medical training one piece of advice, it would be to make (some) time for whatever wellbeing looks like for you. There is so much to learn in internship, residency, fellowship and beyond. But you will never be able to be your best self if you are not taking care of yourself outside the hospital.

Peace. Love. Wellness.