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Going to the gym can be a real struggle for engineers. We work such long and excruciating hours that we just want to lay back on the couch at the end of the day. Everything is difficult to exercise as an engineer because it is tough to stick to a routine due to the dynamic nature of the job; one day, you might work for 7 hours, and another day you work for 11 hours. We have experimented with how long, when, and what to exercise to bring you a comprehensive guide.
Engineers need to keep track of their health because the job requires concentration and long hours of sitting in front of the computer. Training help keeps our bodies in shape and not be overweight or super skinny. Staying healthy by going to the gym or training at home can significantly increase your mental and physical health against the never-ending work.
The following should answer all your questions and concerns about fitting a workout with a busy full-time engineering job.
How to balance work and gym and push yourself?
To balance work and the gym, you must set your priority straight. It isn’t easy to introduce exercises to your routine, especially since you work for at least 8 hours a day. First of all, you need to make a commitment to yourself that you are going to be healthy. There are 4 things to know:
Everything is difficult at the beginning
Nothing is easy at the beginning, especially with building a workout routine, so you need to be okay with running some experiments in the first few weeks to understand your limits. You do not want to reach burnout by over pushing yourself. You do not want to train more than you should or make difficult commitments that make you hate the process.
Start small
The trick is to start small, and I mean that you start with simple 15-20 minutes of exercise in the first week and only for 3 to 4 days. Then slowly increase the workouts’ time, momentum, and difficulty until you reach around 40-45 minutes of training sessions for 3-4 days a week. Simple right? Start small, then slowly increase intensity.
The right way to create balance
The truth is that 60% of being healthy is achieved outside the gym. This includes cooking, sleeping and resting. Therefore, you need to exercise enough as long as it gives you time to do other things without overwhelming yourself. The other parts will go into the detail; for now, you just need to know that the best balance is the one you feel okay with it.
How to push yourself
To see how you can create free time for yourself to do the other things, read, Do Engineers Have Free Time? 3 Ways to fix it. For visual learners, see how you can push yourself the right way.
When is the best time to hit the gym while being a full-time engineer?
Now that you are all fired up and ready to hit the gym, we need to figure out the best optimal time for you to start training. This is the difficult part because now you have to carve up some time to exercise from your usual routine and commit to it.
The thing is, anytime you are going to pick can be challenging initially. We have experimented with all those times, and we found out they all bring results. However, some workout times work better for some engineers. So we have outlined all the challenges below:
Hitting the gym in the morning before work
Yes, this is an option you should very much consider. In fact, this can be the best way to start the day. If you can afford to wake up between 4-5 AM to start training around 5:30, you can still be a the office by 9 AM if you factor in commuting and taking a shower.
The hardest thing about exercising in the morning is waking up super early. There is no easy way to do so, so you just have to force yourself at the beginning. Also, sleep well the night before by giving yourself the full 8 hours of rest.
I also found that drinking coffee in the morning can help give you the energy you need to start your workout session. Read, Is Coffee Bad For Engineers? 6 Life-Changing Tips.
Hitting the gym during work
Training during work might not be for everyone, especially if your work environment does not allow so. However, some engineers in big corporations might allow for long breaks during the day where engineers can hit the gym.
This is great because you do not have to wake up super early and certainly do not have to go back home late. Around midday, you can go to the gym, eat lunch, and go back to work. This is quite common in big corporations where employees have more flexibility to go to the gym mid-day.
Going to the gym during work might require you to be more efficient with your time at the office, which means you need to bring more awareness and concentration to finish your work on time. To reach a high concentration level at work, read: 5 Strong Habits For Engineers To Boost Concentration.
Hitting the gym in the evening after work
If morning and during work are not possible, then training after work is your only option. Most engineers train after work as it is the most convenient choice. You do not have to wake up super early and risk the chance of coming to work late if you have long commute hours or worry about training during work where you are busy with more important things.
The issue is that training after work is where you can be most tired and might become lazy to go to the gym. After all, this is your time to rest. But this is the challenge.
The best time to go to the gym is right after you finish work and before you go home. This means you pack up all your gym clothes with you the night before. This can save you time commuting between home and the gym and also ensure that you do not get cold feet and skip the gym after work.
How long should you exercise?
As mentioned earlier, 60% of health and fitness is achieved outside the gym. Your gym sessions should not be very long. A 45 minutes workout is more than enough to achieve a healthy lifestyle. In fact, training for more than an hour does not benefit muscle building or fat loss. So stick to short, high-intensity workouts maximum of 40-45 minutes.
What type of exercises should you do?
There is no right or wrong way to train. Every person has different goals which require different workout plans. But in general, weight loss requires cardio exercises while bodybuilding requires lifting weights. However, most people will have a different set of workouts incorporating both cardio and bodybuilding exercises that best suit their bodies.
Is exercising at home an option?
The short answer is yes, training at home is a very good option for many people, especially if you know what you are doing. Yet many still prefer to have a gym membership to sign up for classes and access training equipment and machines.
