It’s a fact: health care professions wake up early and get home late. Who has time to exercise? The answer: do your exercises at work. To inspire ourselves and everyone else this 2017, here are some of our favorite high-yield workouts to perform in the hospital. We start with chest compressions.
Chest compressions – One really gets a sense of how sturdy the sternum and rib cage are when you have to use all your body weight to deliver one good chest compression. But then to perform 100 chest compressions per minute? Ironically, that’s some good cardio for both you and your patient. Just don’t overdo it, otherwise you’ll end up in rhabdo.
Push backs – A modified form of push-up, but instead of pushing yourself up against your own body weight plus gravity you push back against the resistance put by another medical or surgical colleague. Do 5 sets of 10 repetitions. For beginners, you may not want to do full-fledged push backs, in which case, start with blocks and deflections.
Femur throws – You might need the help of an orthopod to find a femur. Similar to the Olympic placenta toss, the femur throw is a great way to work on form, acceleration, and upper body strength.
Code sprints – Some of the best calorie burns are done in short bursts, which is where running to codes or code sprints come in. Before you run to any code, be sure you’re wearing the right running shoes. Comfortable shoes make a difference! Next time you hear a Code Blue overhead, sprint as fast as you can. It is best to sprint in 30-60-second intervals, with a few minutes of rest in between.
Bounce backs – Bounce backs are meant to build endurance. After all the days and hours it took to discharge a patient, he or she comes right back and you have go back to square one providing them the medical care you just gave them. Don’t forget to hydrate afterwards.
