How Do You Guys Manage Fitness With School?

[Egg_McMuffin]

OP I think there is an over-representation of people replying here who exercise regularly and find it easy, so please don't feel bad reading comments about how easy it is (keep in mind people have varying levels of non-academic commitments and non-financial support from parents/spouse). I can tell you that it is normal to struggle to fit it into your routine because we're all human and have other shit going on.

People who make it to the gym regularly do so because they prioritize it and it's a non-negotiable. Some people fit it in when they have a 1-2 hr break between classes, go, and take a quick shower at the gym. Some people join sports teams and that keeps them active. I'm in the neither category, and have never stepped foot in the school gym since med school- I thought that what worked for me when I was a 9-5er would work in med school: doing resistance training with an app on the floor before bed, but surprise, I fell off the wagon after a while and never pushed myself hard enough because of lack of energy, motivation, etc etc. So I figured I needed to commit something more structured. Signed up for a class outside of school (which is really expensive), so now I force myself to show up, and once I show up, I get my ass kicked. The best part is now i have to force myself to get the day's work done before my evening class, because I'm going to be so tired after class and just hit the sack, so it's been good for my sleep hygiene too.

You'll have to experiment a bit in dental school to find what works for you and how to fit it around your other commitment without disturbing your productivity. Don't be afraid to explore options that cost a little more. I'm always baffled at how reluctant people are for spending money on things that will improve their health and help build good habits compared to the amount spent on alcohol or shitty take-out food on the regular.

[Borborygmi]

On 4/2/2019 at 11:40 PM, brady23 said:

Even in clerkship you found it easy to exercise regularly?

Nope. I went to a three year school and mentioned in my post that for 2 of 3 years that I found it super easy.

In clerkship, free time is definitely scaled way back. I found I would have to integrate my exercise in different ways (often sporadically). I would cycle to work maybe 1-3 times per week. Depending on which hospital I was at, this was anywhere between maybe 12 and 35 km per day. Then gym, yoga, or swimming with friends other times. On average, I would say I would do 5-8 hours of exercise per week in clerkship vs definitely upwards of 20-25 hours per week prior to clerkship.

I do have friends in class that exercised much more regularly than I did during clerkship. One classmate in particular cycled somehwere around 25-40km per day every single day, even in winter. His strava is very next level.

[Scorbix]

Even on the most challenging of rotations I generally found time to exercise. I had to cut down from four times a week to three days a week, but it turned out to be for the better in terms of making consistent progress. If maintaining a strong exercise routine is something that is important to you, then you make time for it; just like anything else. I think it's important to recognize that taking time to look after yourself -- in whatever way that is -- is just as important as maintaining your studies. It's all about balance. We make time for things that are important to us.