Nursing is a dynamic and sometimes difficult career. Nurses spend most of the day walking from place to place, helping patients and handling charts. Breaks are rare, and nurses often work extended hours. With all of this work, staying in shape can be a bit of a challenge. A few gadgets, however, can help nurses stay healthy while working. Here are four great gadgets to help nurses stay in shape.
1) Pedometers
Pedometers measure how many steps users have taken while the device has been worn. Small and discrete, pedometers can be used to help nurses determine how active they have been during the day. One of the challenges staying healthy while working in a high-effort field such as nursing is knowing how many calories to eat; nursing requires more energy than most jobs, and right number of calories to eat can be hard to determine. Pedometers help nurses calculate the right caloric intake their job and lifestyle demands.
2) Calorie-counting apps
There are two keys for maintaining a healthy weight: diet and exercise. Of these two, diet is more important. The physics of weight gain are fairly simple; burning more calories that one consumes leads to weight loss, and consuming more calories than one burns will lead to weight gain. Keeping track of how many calories one has consumed, however, can be challenging. By downloading and using a calorie-counting app, nurses can carefully track how much they are consuming. Further, many of these apps have reference guides to help users determine how many calories are in certain foods.
3) Leg weights
In many workplaces, nurses spend much of their days walking. Walking is a great exercise; it helps increase endurance and improves the appearance of one’s legs. There are steps, however, that can make walking an even better exercise. By using leg weights, nurses can burn more calories while working and tone their legs. These weights are small, discrete and effective. Additionally, more weight can be added to make them even more effective. Most who use leg weights eventually find them to be easily tolerated even for length stretches of time.
4) Balance balls
Fitness experts are praising the benefits of balance balls. They help improve one’s sense of balance and can tone muscle groups. Companies are creating balance ball chairs and special desks to allow nurses and other professionals to use balance balls while working. Nurses often spend most of their day with patients and retreat to back rooms to type in information or fill out charts; other nurses spend a significant part of the day making phone calls. By using a balance ball while sitting, nurses can help improve their fitness while on the job.
Nurses know the importance of fitness. After spending years working with patients who struggle with staying in shape, nurses see firsthand how helpful losing weight can be. The demands and stresses of their jobs, however, can make staying in shape difficult. Fortunately, gadgets are helping nursing stay fit while working. By incorporating these gadgets within their daily lives, nurses can see a substantial improvement in their overall health.
Betsy Gable is a NICU nurse and guest author at www.acceleratednursing.org, a site with reviews of top-rated accelerated online nursing degree programs.
