How to stay in shape in medical school

[flsweetlady]

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So I finished my first year of medical school and I have gained 10 pounds...and I wanted to know if anyone had any tips on how they stayed in shape in medical school...It is hard even though I eat right, but I dont have time to excercise..anyone have any suggestions....or comments...I dont want to gain another 10 pounds in my second year...but at the rate im going it will happen...so now im spending my summer trying to work it offf..... 😳

 

[Mike59]

You basically answered your own question...If you don't have time to exercise, you're gonna have to make time to exercise. For me, skipping some classes frees up a whole bunch of time to work on my bod 😉 Also, try little things like walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, walk anywhere you can, park in a farther parking space....

 

[MErc44]

you don't have an hour a day to excercise, I find that hard to believe, I felt the same way for three years of college until I made some time. I'm not saying college is like medical school but if you make time to excercise and get into a routine it will piss you off if you miss a day. I watched less tv and spent less time on the internet and found I had plenty of time for excercise.

 

[s vena cava]

and isn't working out one of the best ways to get all your aggressions out about stressors in your life (like med school!) 😛 i actually run everywhere i go...even if it's to get coffee, or if it's the trek from the back of the lecture hall to the front of it. i sprint up stairs, down stairs, across the campus...and i've been able to stay in shape. but just make sure you don't fall! i did that too... my! was that embarrassing... g'luck! 😉

 

[opus03]

My husband and I invested in a treadmill to make it easier to exercise. I do a lot of reading while I walk and by getting up a little early everyday, I make time to run as well. I would say that having some equipment at home has been the best thing for me b/c I always dreaded waking up early and driving to a gym.

 

[Hercules]

So I finished my first year of medical school and I have gained 10 pounds...and I wanted to know if anyone had any tips on how they stayed in shape in medical school...It is hard even though I eat right, but I dont have time to excercise..anyone have any suggestions....or comments...I dont want to gain another 10 pounds in my second year...but at the rate im going it will happen...so now im spending my summer trying to work it offf..... 😳

I promise you have time to exercise in the first two years of med school. I got in the best shape of my life by the end of 2nd year. 3rd year is a little tougher, since you no longer control your own schedule, but with good time management it can be done.

I second the multi-tasking. During 2nd year I got in the habit of spending an hour on a cardio machine each morning while reading through notes.

 

[gschl1234]

you don't have an hour a day to excercise,

I don't know what you do while you excercise but it always takes me well over an hour if you factor in stretching before/after, travel time to the gym, 45 minutes of cardio on the treadmill or eliptical, and weight-lifting afterwards and/or sit-ups/push-ups not to mention showering afterwards. Maybe the best thing to do would be to purchase a treadmill or eliptical if it fits in your home. That way, you can cut out the travel time at least. If you have no time to excercise during the school week, maybe do it on Saturday and Sunday. Two days a week is better than none.

 

[twinklz]

I'd recommend getting a Pilates video. At the advanced level you're doing constant strenuous exercise that also improves flexibility. And most of them are only a half hour each. No travel time, no stretching needed, and a fairly decent workout in a condensed amount of time. You do need a fair amount of floor space to do most of the exercises, however.

Oh, but you don't want to start at the advanced level! Start easy and work up.

 

[ForensicPath]

I lost about 20 pounds this last year of undergrad. I went from having a beer gut to being pretty flat. Now I just need to work on some definition. Losing it was actually easy.... I didn't have money. What this meant was that I only spent money on food I absolutely needed. I ate 3 square meals a day with some light snacking (granola bars, peanuts, etc..). I did not spend any money on things like chips or ice cream. I found that when I ate better I didn't feel hungry as often and overall felt better and had more energy. I have also given up fast food. The movie Super Size Me has confirmed a number of my suspicions. If I need a quick meal, I find that a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is much more satisfying.

Also, in terms of exercise, just wake up and hour or two earlier. I don't have a gym membership, mostly because I haven't had the money, and just do pushups and situps. I also run for at least a half hour about 4 times a week. It is great stress relief and gives you time to think or listen to tunes. Now if only I can find a place to do pullups...

Also, if it is reasonable, walk to school. It's good for the environment and for your body. My apartment is approximately 10 blocks to transportation to the school I am currently set to attend and about 10 blocks to the school I am waitlisted at. So that should definitely keep me active during med school. However, I will probably be singing a different tune once the cold philadelphia winter hits.

 

[brianjc]

In Neuro we learned that the human body only needs 5.5 hrs of sleep a night to function at a high level. Additional hours are just a matter of preference or habit. If you want to exercise just get up earlier and go for a jog or do some situps. Time is there you just have to be dedicated to make it. But then again I live right across the street from school and don't go to class, so I have plenty of time for just about anything! 🙂

 

[lindyloohoo]

I've found that 5 to 5:30 AM is a good time to go to the gym. It's usually business type folk who want in and out just like me. Also, there's no traffic (cuts down on commute time). I've found that people who are up at that time are just a little bit nicer....not sure why. As for the shower, do it at the gym. Saves on your water and electric/gas bill. Also, you'll be all set to be at the hospital at 5:00 AM third year during surgery. Nothing like asking patients if they've passed gas or had a BM overnight at 5:30 AM and I'm not even sure the last time I did.

 

[rugtrousers]

I was one of the lucky few who has lost weight in medical school - but I started out with that goal. The key for me was finding a workout partner, a fellow student, who would kick my ass every time I didn't want to go to the gym, and I did the same for him.

As for multitasking, it's been my experience that when I try to read and workout, I don't do either one very well. You should treat yourself to 1-2 hours of gym time a few times a week for the health of your body and your mind.

Of course, there's always really vigorous housecleaning...

 

[Lebesgue]

Get up at 5, go for a brisk 5 mi (6:00 pace) with your ipod listening to the most recent lectures. Run or bike to class with laminated notes in your hand or duck taped to your handlebars. In class, sit against the wall at the back of the class with your legs at a 90-degree angle, laptop resting on your quads, doing 50 min sets during the lectures until class is over for the day. Do pushups or situps during the breaks. During lunch, do deep lunges around the school while eating a healthy meal, yelling the high yield points from the days lecture for emphasis. When not squatting in class or lunging during lunch or breaks, run everywhere you go during the day with a backpack containing your books, laptop, and 45lb plate from the gym. Take stairs if there is an option, and always take the long way somewhere. If you have to take a bathroom break make sure to not sit down to give your legs a good workout. Drink plenty of water during the day, and continue this when you get home. At night go for another brisk run, then find an uncomfortable place to sleep to keep your stress levels up, and make sure to loop class lectures through your earphones as you sleep. On the weekends, load up a backpack with all of your notes and texts, take food and water, and a headlamp; walk the entire weekend reviewing notes as you hike a few hundred miles. Give yourself 10 hours to sleep on Sunday night.

Hope this helps. 🙂

 

[gc1983]

anyone tried those pills or something similar..there are no supplements withut side effects , so would you recommend them?

 

[Preanest]

How about selling your car and getting a hybrid bike. There was a study that showed that the more people drive the fatter they get. Also, never drink liquid sugars like soda. They also have been proven to add calories.

 

[DaveB]

If you really want to do something you can always find the time to do it, whether it be exercise or brush up on your tiddlywinks skills.... As an obsessive-compulsive fitness freak, I've been able to workout 4-6 times/week, 60-90 minutes at a time all throughout most of medical school. I am now at the end of my third year and still in amazing shape. First and second year finding the time wasn't even a challenge. Third year it did get harder, especially while on services like surgery. But even when it got hard, I still tried to do something for a few minutes here and there. I found it not only helped my physical health but my mental health as well.

To reinforce what Mike59 said, at my school we have a faculty member who is a successful ultramarathoner (100+ miles per race), and I asked him once how he had the time to be an accomplished doctor while still finding the time to train enough to be a successful athlete. He told me he walks everywhere, and always makes sure he uses the stairs. He makes a point of doing both briskly. He takes it to an extreme, but I definitely think someone who is trying to stave off a few extra pounds can take something from this.

I also think a big part of this equation that a lot of people neglect is eating healthy. It is very easy to drop by all the lunchtime meetings and scarf down free pizza, or stop by the hospital cafeteria and indulge in whatever greasy treats they are serving that day. This is especially true during third year. I can recall countless meals in the hospital cafeteria where I sat eating a half-withered day old salad from the back of the A-La-Carte cooler while the rest of my team gorged themselves on fried chicken.

 

[paramed2premed]

I've been told I'm nuts for doing this, but...

I justify doing long aerobic workouts (treadmill, ergometer, elliptical) by listening to academic CDs during the session. My two favorites are the Step 1 review discs from Gold Standard (www.boardprep.net) and Audio-Digest CDs (audiodigest.org). The latter are intended for CME credit for practicing physicians, and so are clinically-oriented, conduct a light review of the basic science involved, and are fairly entertaining.

I can't do hard workouts (e.g. intervals) and follow the lectures, but they are good for long-slow-distance workouts.

 

[daktar]

I'm starting school this fall and I'm a trainer. But, all through college working fulltime and taking classes fulltime I'd do anywhere from 10-20 minutes cardio in the morning-high intensity training/sprint intervals. When I'm really pressed for time I'd do 10 minutes of sprints first thing in the morning, every day and this has kept me in great shape. So making my workouts shorter and going for maximum intensity has helped A LOT and I'm hoping this will work during school as well.

 

[Hercules]

As for multitasking, it's been my experience that when I try to read and workout, I don't do either one very well. You should treat yourself to 1-2 hours of gym time a few times a week for the health of your body and your mind.


I would say it depend son what kind of workout you're doing. I would never dream of trying to read while lifting weights. On the other hand, I find that reading notes/books actually keeps me going longer on a cardio machine than I normally would. I should add that I detest cardio machines and see them as monotonous torture devices that I usually grow bored of in the first 10-15 minutes. Reading just helps keep my mind occupied while I'm on them. My multitasking rapidly drops off during the spring and summer, though, when I can jog outside and enjoy the sunshine.

 

[claudiadent]

I will be starting dental school this fall, and the problem I have had throughout undergerad has been that I am one of those people that works out all the way or none at all. It is very hard for me to go 1/2 hour only.

Well, has anyone been to a YMCA? That is where I am going to try to go, primarily because it is close to Tufts. But I think it is important that we do keep looking and feeling healthy because we are in the healthcare field....people look up to us for that!

Claudia🙂

 

[lattimer13]

exercised regularly...

oh, and eat healthy!

 

[kaineliu]

a good diet is the single most important thing throughout medical school and life. i try to eat 5-6 small meals/day and never get hungry, but that'll be more difficult during 3rd year.

also, i did absolutely nothing prior to medical school in terms of exercise, and seeing all these fit med students inspired me to train for a marathon during 2nd year. it was definitely doable, and finding time to run (6-7 hours/week) was not hard. being in class all the time sucks, and it's good to get outside every day especially during 2nd year. sometimes i would try to multitask by listening to lectures on mp3 that our school puts out.

 

[jdub]

as was mentioned, watching what you eat and when you eat it is important. more fiber tends to fill you up a little earliear without as much excess caloric intake.

being practical is really important too, i generally give myself one day a week where i don't really watch what i eat and i find that i don't crave yummy things like pizza and ice cream, etc, as much during the week. spreading meals out during the day helps me eat less too. i find that i eat really fast too, so i try to slow down a bit when i eat, this has helped me not eat as much in one sitting.

also, getting into a routine is very important. i try and excersize at set times each day, well actaully 4 or 5 times a week, and i try and make it as convienent as possible. we have a little gym on campus, so i use that. i end up carrying around a gym bag a lot, but i am so much more focused when i get in a little cardio. if you are just starting out try and be practical too, 20-30 minutes of something brisk, like an eliptical or jogging on a treadmill would be good. i find that if i try and do too much i lose motivation and end up doing nothing. anyhow, good luck.

 

[Bigguns]

In order to halt the inevitable weight gain that accompanies a sedentary life of having your face buried in the books, you have to exercise. I know it's easy to say that there's no time for exercise, but that's not true. Everyone, no matter how much of a gunner you are, still has a half hour a day to do some type of exercise whether that be lifting weights or something cardiovascular. Plus, how can you sit and tell patients to excercise and lose weight when you're not practicing what you preach. The bottom line is that you have to make excercise a priority in your day.

 

[dnister]

I do not speak from personal experience but I hear that DDR can help you lose a lot of pounds...

http://www.getupmove.com/
http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/mitmserver1/jumpjumpdanceparty.htm

 

[What the pho]

Have more sex.

 

[Kovox]

Just put out an hour to exercise every other day. I mean if some p33ps have time to go out and drink or watch t.v., there should be some time to exercise.

If not, get a bike and bike to places you have to go like to school or grocery store etc.

 

[IceKid]

In Neuro we learned that the human body only needs 5.5 hrs of sleep a night to function at a high level. Additional hours are just a matter of preference or habit.

really? my former advisor, who is a bioclocks researcher, told us that there are studies that show that not getting enough sleep is detrimental to brain function in the long term.

 

[Mr.Tweed]

I will be starting dental school this fall, and the problem I have had throughout undergerad has been that I am one of those people that works out all the way or none at all. It is very hard for me to go 1/2 hour only.

Well, has anyone been to a YMCA? That is where I am going to try to go, primarily because it is close to Tufts. But I think it is important that we do keep looking and feeling healthy because we are in the healthcare field....people look up to us for that!

Claudia🙂

Hey Claudia. I'll be at Tufts too this year. Some friends of mine who go there workout at the YMCA regularly. I think that it's a bit run down, but it has everything you need.

 

[drjeni2b]

I think the key is to do something you like to stay in shape....for example, i love to dance, so i plan on continuing to take a few classes a week at a local dance studio while in med school...do what you love and it will make it easier to stick to...

 

[carrigallen]

In Neuro we learned that the human body only needs 5.5 hrs of sleep a night to function at a high level.

Strange.. In our neuro we learned that you need 7.5 - 8 hours for optimium sleep.

 

[callalily]

if you are really pressed for time, you can do weight training for 20 min a day 3x a week. By building up muscle, you burn more fat, plus you don't need to go to the gym, all you need are some free weights.

 

[Allygator89]

Strange.. In our neuro we learned that you need 7.5 - 8 hours for optimium sleep.

I second this.

 

[gwyn779]

I think the key is to do something you like to stay in shape....for example, i love to dance, so i plan on continuing to take a few classes a week at a local dance studio while in med school...do what you love and it will make it easier to stick to...

Dance is also my preferred exercise, however this method isn't really compatible for 3rd year. My schedule changed every 2 weeks and I spent several months at away rotations, so there was no way I could make it to a class with anywhere near enough regularity to make it worth it. So I changed to the walking to the hospital and not using elevators method, which is better than nothing. I'm sure if I'd already had a regular routine on my own, I would have continued it this past year.


You don't need an hour of exercise every day to lose weight. Just 20 or 30 min., even 4 or 5 times/wk will do it. Especially if you make an effort to walk and use stairs more often. A little exercise is better than none.

 

[kaos]

If not, get a bike and bike to places you have to go like to school or grocery store etc.

I really wish I could, but Baltimore really isn't the best place to chain your bike outside, and besides, my good clothes get dirty and what would they say about professionalism? 😛
In all seriousness, I need a new bike. I've made time, an hour every day or every other day to go to the gym and work out all that frustration. Works wonders on the quads! Must focus on upper body strength now...

 

[Discobolus]

Strange.. In our neuro we learned that you need 7.5 - 8 hours for optimium sleep.

In our neuro class we were given a figure of 8.2 hours. Of course some students laughed at the exactness of the number and asked about it, and it is of course an average but for me probably about right. Our sleep lecture was given by a guest lecturer from U. of Michigan Medical School.

 

[brianjc]

Originally Posted by brianjc
In Neuro we learned that the human body only needs 5.5 hrs of sleep a night to function at a high level. Additional hours are just a matter of preference or habit.

really? my former advisor, who is a bioclocks researcher, told us that there are studies that show that not getting enough sleep is detrimental to brain function in the long term.

I could be wrong. In fact I am. My notes say the optimal minimum is 5.5 hrs of sleep.

 

[masterMood]

just bumping this thread, i thought it was pretty useful.

have you guys ever considered HIIT running? you pretty much run for 10-15 minutes doing sprints

and it goes like this: 4minutes of warmup jog then you have a 4 minute sprint phase (where you do a 20 second sprint then a 10 second jog/walk, and you do the sprints 8 times, for a total of 4 minutes), and then you do a cool down jog for 4 minutes. This is like 12 minutes, and then stretching makes it like anohter 10 minutes, then a shower is like 10 minutes so it's about an hour total.

Also, i was never one of those kids in elementary school/middle school/high school that brought food to lunch in those cool pack bags, do you guys use these a lot?

 

[njbmd]

So I finished my first year of medical school and I have gained 10 pounds...and I wanted to know if anyone had any tips on how they stayed in shape in medical school...It is hard even though I eat right, but I dont have time to excercise..anyone have any suggestions....or comments...I dont want to gain another 10 pounds in my second year...but at the rate im going it will happen...so now im spending my summer trying to work it offf..... 😳

Hi there,
I am a General Surgery resident so I don't even want to begin to tell you how little free time I have. I gained plenty of weight in medical school and it made my intern year pretty rough. Carrying around the extra pounds just made my feet hurt and made running the steps more of a struggle.

I decided to cut out fried foods and not visit any fast food restaurants except to order a diet soft drink. I also made myself walk up at least two flights of stairs and down three to help me get into condition.

I put study tapes on my Walkman and study for 30 minutes while I do the Elliptical Trainer in our gym. I do at least 30 minutes of cardio three times each week. I also log everything that I put into my mouth too. This has resulted in me losing quite a bit of my medical school weight and having increased energy.

The other thing I do is keep hydrated. The hospital is a very dry place to work so I keep a small bottle of water in my lab coat pocket. I make sure that I drink at least 64oz each day. I have a Brita pitcher in my call room and I refill my water bottle. Being dehydrated can make you cranky and tired.

I bring carrot sticks to munch on while I am on call so that I am not tempted to order out with the nurses. I also keep Ultra SlimFast in my locker for a quick meal when I cannot get to the cafeteria. In the cafeteria, I walk past the fried and fatty stuff to the fresh fruits and vegetables. Fortunately, we have a choice.

Once a week, I reward myself with something like a dip in the whirlpool or a pedicure. I also keep Jello Sugar-Free Pudding Snacks around for my chocolate fix (chocolate is one of the four food groups of medicine) and so I don't feel deprived.

All of these little things have added up to big losses for me. I am in fairly good shape too. Getting started was the hardest part but I stuck with it and after three weeks, it was habit.

You always have more time than you think. You can also multitask too by putting that book on the stand on the treadmill to read and run. I really wished I had snacked on carrot sticks instead of Nacho Cheese Doritos while I was in medical school but I am losing that weight now. Also, a brisk walk to clear your head can make your studying more efficient too.

Good luck!
njbmd 🙂

 

[Ypo.]

For those of you who read your notes while you exercise - how do you do it? I have tried, but first of all I get motion sickness. Secondly, it completely depresses me! When I work out, I want to forget about medical school for a little while and destress! It seems so counterintuitive to work the very thing that is stressing you into your destressing exercise. I completely understand the efficiency of it, but I just don't think I can do it. The only way is if I walk on the treadmill. But then I just feel like I've done two things: session of half-assed exercise AND a session of half-assed study.

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

forget exercising.

#1 tip: eat JUST enough and not more. in your case, that probably means eating a few bites less. Also, eat protein rather than fat. Eat enough such that you are starving by your next meal. and only eat 3 meals a day. If your stomach aint growling, you aint doing it right.

your brain doing all that memorization should be enough to burn all the calories.

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

...

 

[DarksideAllstar]

forget exercising. Eat enough such that you are starving by your next meal. and only eat 3 meals a day. If your stomach aint growling, you aint doing it right.

This is bad advice. Do not starve yourself. I guarantee that if you eat this eay, you will be binging when dinner comes around. You should calculate your caloric needs based on your average activity level (there are food calculators on the net that will help you do this) and then divide that into 4-5 meals per day. Stay active and drink lots of water. Good luck 🙂

 

[hunter1077]

I think we are all looking at this the wrong way. To the OP, maybe your brain has gotten bigger/fuller with knowledge. Maybe that 10 lbs is the physical measurement of the information you learned in your first year. Congratulate yourself for "retaining" 10 lbs of knowledge from you first year.

 

[Law2Doc]

As for multitasking, it's been my experience that when I try to read and workout, I don't do either one very well. You should treat yourself to 1-2 hours of gym time a few times a week for the health of your body and your mind.

Agree with this. From a cardiovascular training point of view, unless you get your heart rate up to a decent level, i.e. really huffing and puffing and sweating, which is higher than should permit reading, you are probably limiting the effectiveness of your workout. You can probably burn a few calories walking and reading on a treadmill, but it is not going to get you into shape any time soon. You really want to clear a handful hours a week (in at least 20 minute blocks, but longer is better) to really push yourself and work up a sweat. There is no easy way to get in shape -- it is hard work (and depending on your metabolism and genetics, harder for some than others).

 

[Law2Doc]

I think we are all looking at this the wrong way. To the OP, maybe your brain has gotten bigger/fuller with knowledge. Maybe that 10 lbs is the physical measurement of the information you learned in your first year. Congratulate yourself for "retaining" 10 lbs of knowledge from you first year.

My brain is totally cut.

 

[hunter1077]

My brain is totally cut.

I hope mine is starving. I start my first year in August and hope my brain is ready to soak up whatever they throw at me.

 

[Tiki]

Agree with this. From a cardiovascular training point of view, unless you get your heart rate up to a decent level, i.e. really huffing and puffing and sweating, which is higher than should permit reading, you are probably limiting the effectiveness of your workout. You can probably burn a few calories walking and reading on a treadmill, but it is not going to get you into shape any time soon. You really want to clear a handful hours a week (in at least 20 minute blocks, but longer is better) to really push yourself and work up a sweat. There is no easy way to get in shape -- it is hard work (and depending on your metabolism and genetics, harder for some than others).

Maybe for you it doesn't work, but for plenty of us it does. I can run on the elliptical maching and get my heart rate up to 170 and read just fine. You shouldn't make generalizations just because you can't do it.

 

[Law2Doc]

Maybe for you it doesn't work, but for plenty of us it does. I can run on the elliptical maching and get my heart rate up to 170 and read just fine. You shouldn't make generalizations just because you can't do it.

Oh please. 🙄 If you are keeping within the recommended target heart rate for your age and weight, you should be having an awfully tough time reading, plain and simple. According to one good target calculator website, "The heart rate you should maintain is called your target heart rate. There are several ways of arriving at this figure. One of the simplest is: Target Heart Rate = (220 - age) x 50% (lower limit) -and- Target Heart Rate = (220 - age) x 75% (upper limit)".(http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/tl/cl/thr/howto.jsp)
Thus 170 doesn't sound right. Probably is your maximum heart rate? As you can still read and are not straining at 170, and it does not even formulaically seem to fit within what your target heart rate should be during a cardio workout, I would suggest you probably ought to be pushing it harder to get a better workout. Also bear in mind that the number on the machine may deviate from actuality pretty significantly - much as the calories the machine claims you are burning is also pretty questionable.

 

[basupran]

If you are serious about the weight loss, you should take a simple approach that involves cutting calories from your diet, preferably foods with a higher Glycemic Index. This will help avoid anabolic process such as fat synthesis (insulin spike). That and some time in the gym will help.

To be honest, there really isn't much to say about 'how to do it'. I am sure you can figure that out on your own. The hard part is getting yourself to the gym and staying in there. The key to keeping the motivation (imho) is to make sure you go to the gym the first day you don't feel like going. Each time after that, the urge not to go will be weaker. Not having time is a BS excuse. There is time in the first year. I went 2-4 hours a day 5x a week.