Balancing gym and vet school

[Trex2000]

Hello everyone, this post is regarding balancing gym and vet school schedules, as I have not seen anyone mention this topic before. I am starting my vet school soon, later this summer, and I would like to know what some of you think about this topic.

Here is some of my personal information. I would consider myself a gym rat as I enjoy heavy lifting, along with all the physical and mental benefits it brings me. I usually train 4 days a week and follow a power-building program which mainly focuses on building strength and muscle. My session lasts between 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours. In addition, I prefer to train in the morning as this period is less crowded, and I can be more efficient with my time. I understand as vet students, we should always prioritize studying on top of everything; however, I want to ask if it is possible to squeeze in a 4-day training session during my year 1 in the vet school. Should I reduce the number of days or the number of hours per session down? My sessions tend to be long because I need to be fully warmed up before all my compound lifting since I have injured myself before without this routine (Stretching takes up to 10-15 minutes minimum). Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated; thank you!

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[SkiOtter]

we should always prioritize studying on top of everything

Not fully true. You need to prioritize your self and mental health too. If your mental health is trash, it will affect you in school. If lifting is what helps your mental health, you will find a way to make time. Most people are able to find time to do something they’re passionate about. I would definitely recommend to try and go a bit slower at the beginning of the semester until you get in your groove, like we recommend for people getting jobs at school, but people are definitely able to go to the gym regularly in vet school if they prioritize that and make sure that there’s time for that in their day. Whether that’s getting up an hour earlier and getting a bit less sleep (or going to bed earlier and still getting adequate sleep) or missing out on Club meetings, you should be able to find a way to continue.

 

[Vannandy]

It honestly depends on the student and how long it takes you to digest the information and retain it. It takes some an hour and others four. I think time management is the biggest takeaway and lesson in finding what will work for you. I place a big emphasis on academics so studying above other things is how I approached it. But it's always a balance as Dr. Otter mentioned. There are also other ways to contribute to your mental health aside from the gym if you need to

 

[WildZoo]

It's definitely doable. Studying every hour of every day isn't sustainable anyway, you need that time off. Take advantage of weekends when you don't have to work around being in class. That's 2 of your 4 days right there, then you only have to squeeze in another 2 during the week. Our classes started at 8am so to me it sounds horrible to wake up early enough to get in 2 hours at the gym beforehand, but if you're a morning person more power to you. For me, having a brain break of that kind right after class worked well, so I'd be more refreshed before getting some evening study time in. You can play around with different timing to see what will work best for you.

I really don't think it'll be too much of a problem during the didactic years. During clinics you may find you have to cut your sessions shorter to actually have time to eat and sleep.

 

[Trex2000]

Not fully true. You need to prioritize your self and mental health too. If your mental health is trash, it will affect you in school. If lifting is what helps your mental health, you will find a way to make time. Most people are able to find time to do something they’re passionate about. I would definitely recommend to try and go a bit slower at the beginning of the semester until you get in your groove, like we recommend for people getting jobs at school, but people are definitely able to go to the gym regularly in vet school if they prioritize that and make sure that there’s time for that in their day. Whether that’s getting up an hour earlier and getting a bit less sleep (or going to bed earlier and still getting adequate sleep) or missing out on Club meetings, you should be able to find a way to continue.

Thank you for the tips and I will try to go with a slower pace at the beginning for sure ))

 

[Trex2000]

It honestly depends on the student and how long it takes you to digest the information and retain it. It takes some an hour and others four. I think time management is the biggest takeaway and lesson in finding what will work for you. I place a big emphasis on academics so studying above other things is how I approached it. But it's always a balance as Dr. Otter mentioned. There are also other ways to contribute to your mental health aside from the gym if you need to

It's definitely doable. Studying every hour of every day isn't sustainable anyway, you need that time off. Take advantage of weekends when you don't have to work around being in class. That's 2 of your 4 days right there, then you only have to squeeze in another 2 during the week. Our classes started at 8am so to me it sounds horrible to wake up early enough to get in 2 hours at the gym beforehand, but if you're a morning person more power to you. For me, having a brain break of that kind right after class worked well, so I'd be more refreshed before getting some evening study time in. You can play around with different timing to see what will work best for you.

I really don't think it'll be too much of a problem during the didactic years. During clinics you may find you have to cut your sessions shorter to actually have time to eat and sleep.

Thank you guys and I agree time management is the key in terms of a balancing lifestyle.

 

[britzen]

Not fully true. You need to prioritize your self and mental health too. If your mental health is trash, it will affect you in school. If lifting is what helps your mental health, you will find a way to make time. Most people are able to find time to do something they’re passionate about. I would definitely recommend to try and go a bit slower at the beginning of the semester until you get in your groove, like we recommend for people getting jobs at school, but people are definitely able to go to the gym regularly in vet school if they prioritize that and make sure that there’s time for that in their day. Whether that’s getting up an hour earlier and getting a bit less sleep (or going to bed earlier and still getting adequate sleep) or missing out on Club meetings, you should be able to find a way to continue.

Things I made time for every day in vet school included making / eating dinner with my spouse and taking our dogs for a walk together. (Easily 2 hours of daily time after class.)

My priorities in vet school were loosely in this order:

1. Taking care of my mental health

2. Working with my spouse to make sure our marriage stayed in a good place

3. Making sure my dogs were taken care of on a basic level

4. Studying enough to not fail out of vet school / making sure I understood main concepts

5. Making sure my dogs were taken care of on an actual good-owner level

6. Taking care of my general health (sleep, exercise, making healthy meals, etc)

7. Studying the subjects I really cared about and intended to work in after school so that I understood them well

8. Studying down to small details for the sake of maximizing grades


I feel like lot of people jump my #8 to the top of their lists because they feel like if they aren't getting 100% on exams, they're gonna be bad doctors... that's a recipe to be stressed and burned out all the time. There is always more to study, you just gotta figure out where you're comfortable cutting yourself off so school is not all-consuming.

 

[katiemcat]

I manage to make it to the gym 5x a week during the week even with classes. If I have an exam I’ll usually take the day before off to study. I usually go early in the morning before class, shower, and head to class, or if I’m really sleepy I’ll go in the evening after classes. I stopped completely my first semester as I was worried about time management as well, but it has actually had no impact on my grades, and I feel so much better mentally and physically since I’ve been going regularly again this semester.

 

[EB73674]

I am also a person who MAJORLY needs exercise/gym time to be functional - not only does it generally help with my stress levels, it also aids in my sleep & focus & mood. I'm struggling with some health issues and medication side effects, so my energy isn't quite where it needs to be, but I definitely have the time to get to the gym at least 3 times a week for an hour class. If I prioritized being more efficient with my studying and/or didn't have a job, I could pretty easily make time for 4 90 minute gym sessions a week. You may need to get up earlier than you want to & maybe cut down on exam weeks & maybe sacrifice other leisure activities, but I think that's doable!

 

[dvmclassof2027hopeful]

I'm an incoming student also worried about gym time! I'm a student athlete currently so I spend a lot of my time at practice and weight lifting sessions. I plan on joining a CrossFit gym near my school and doing those workouts because they're only an hour long which helps me to stay on track and save time. Also posting to keep up with new input on this thread

 

[mo309]

I'm a 3rd year student and have lifted throughout vet school. My school's schedule (CSU) always has a 1 hour lunch break, so sometimes I squeeze in a quick 30 minute workout if I won't have time otherwise (lots of super-sets). Otherwise I go early in the morning before class, or right after class in the early afternoon. I definitely have learned to go easier on myself if I do miss a workout here or there because sometimes I do prioritize studying but for the most part it is manageable.

 

[that redhead]

You can work anything in that is important to you during vet school but you may need to adjust your expectations. 2hrs 4x/week might be a bit much as you first adjust, or during busy exam times or during fourth year rotations when you’re working 12+hr days or on call or studying for NAVLE.

I’m obviously out of vet school now but I get up at 4:15am (home set up) so I can work out before I get the kids up, work, etc.

 

[Laradd]

Balancing vet school and the gym can be challenging, but it's possible with good time management. Consider adjusting your workout schedule to accommodate your studies, perhaps by reducing the number of days or hours per session, and make sure to prioritize your studies above all else.

 

[travelingdogtor25]

Hello everyone, this post is regarding balancing gym and vet school schedules, as I have not seen anyone mention this topic before. I am starting my vet school soon, later this summer, and I would like to know what some of you think about this topic.

Here is some of my personal information. I would consider myself a gym rat as I enjoy heavy lifting, along with all the physical and mental benefits it brings me. I usually train 4 days a week and follow a power-building program which mainly focuses on building strength and muscle. My session lasts between 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours. In addition, I prefer to train in the morning as this period is less crowded, and I can be more efficient with my time. I understand as vet students, we should always prioritize studying on top of everything; however, I want to ask if it is possible to squeeze in a 4-day training session during my year 1 in the vet school. Should I reduce the number of days or the number of hours per session down? My sessions tend to be long because I need to be fully warmed up before all my compound lifting since I have injured myself before without this routine (Stretching takes up to 10-15 minutes minimum). Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated; thank you!

Definitely depends on your school/study methods. I didn’t get into lifting until vet school, but my school also only takes exams every 4 weeks so it’s a bit easier to fit in 4-5 lift sessions a week. I will say there are weeks that I’m too exhausted with school to lift. Everyone’s different, but I’ve definitely cut down a bit second year compared to first year. Studying is important, but so are your hobbies. Life in vet school is still life. Don’t forget to make time for the things that you enjoy!

 

[Old-Country-Vet-Tech]

I will say if you're at UF then try and get it in directly after class. The transportation stinks getting to the school and there's no parking. I struggled to workout at the gym my first 2 years due to my ADHD ( all or nothing mentality...) but I worked out at home on my climber while watching lectures and ran with my dog etc. Now I force myself this last year to go and prioritize myself. Its something I'll fight for when I'm working in practice. My mentor always taught me to do that.