Medical School requires over 40 hours a week studying, and when you get to the clerkship phase you spend almost all of your waking hours in hospital. With so many obligations and time constraints, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can become an afterthought. However with proper planning  and discipline, staying fit and living a healthy lifestyle is definitely doable. In this article I will show you the top 10 ways to stay healthy in medical school

1. Workout at a specific time every day

Having a predictable time that you are going to workout takes the stress and headache out of trying to find time in the day to squeeze in a workout. Additionally if you don’t have a predictable time in which you are going to workout, then there is a higher likelihood of other things getting in the way and preventing you from getting quality exercise

Additionally if you are new to working out, having a consistent routine can help you make working out a more permanent lifestyle change. Personally I workout first thing in the morning around 5:00am and here are benefits which I notice

• Less stress over trying to find time to workout in the day
• More productive during the day
• Have the entire day free 
• Improved mood throughout the day
• Feel more awake throughout the day

2. Work out doing an activity that you enjoy

There is no sense in working out if you do not experience any sort of enjoyment in doing a particular exercise. Working out is much more enjoyable when you are exercising by doing an activity that you love or that brings you joy. For me personally I have always enjoyed running and lifting weights and it wasn’t until two yeas ago that I began training long distance running for events such as marathons and half marathons. Some of my other friends were involved in many other activities that included 

• Dancing
• Muy Thai
• Boxing
• Intramural soccer
• Intramural basketball
• Cycling
• Zumba
• Brazillian Jiu Jitsu

3. Exercise with Friends

As the old saying goes “there is power in numbers.” You are more likely  to stick to something long term if you have the support and commitment of your friends. Whether it is something like a run club where you meet with a group of friends weekly or bi weekly, or you join a local crossfit club, making a change to a more healthy and fitness oriented lifestyle is a lot more manageable (and enjoyable) when you aren’t doing it alone. Additionally having a friend come along with you is a great way to have someone there to keep you accountable and make sure you are giving a good effort.

You could also join a group activity or sports team. At my medical school there was an intramural sports league in which classes competed with each other in sports such as Football, soccer, and basketball. This is a great way to stay active while also having fun with your friends in a social environment.

4. Do HIIT workouts

HIIT stands for high intensity workouts. These workouts are short in nature but as the name suggests they are high intensity.

5. Follow a workout program

When you are just beginning it is important to follow a written or structured workout of some kind. THis will prevent you from injuring yourself or going at too high of intensity which will ultimately discourage you wanting to workout.

There are Plenty of apps out there are free and give you a variety of great workouts for running and lifting weights

6. Set a goal or Train for an event

Working out becomes a lot more meaningful when we have a specific purpose behind it. Actively compete in an athletic event of some kind to have a reason to go to the gym. This could include things such as

• 5k races
• Bodybuilding competitions
• Powerlifting competitions
• Tennis tournaments
• Marathons or triathlons

7. Exercise during your studying breaks

Even if you do not want to stay fit and exercise for asthetic purposes or athletic reasons, there are also academic reasons to stay fit. Exercising  even a little bit is great way to clear your brain, and reset your focus. During a 10 minute study break where you would normally scroll social media or even browse on your computer, consider doing any one of the following exercises. 

• Jumping jacks
• Pushing ups
• Knee ups
• Jump rope
• Burpies

In fact none of these workouts actually require that you move locations. You can do these workouts standing in place!

8. Track your progress

Whether you are trying to put on more muscle, or lose a few pounds, or run a faster 5k, be sure you are tracking your progress. Improvement will only serve as positive reinforcement.

There are plenty of devices that can monitor your progress in whatever your physical or athletic goals. Just to name a few

• Garmin watch:  if you are runner, this is good for tracking your weekly mileage, heart rate, and recovery time

• My fitness pal:  This is an app to help you track your calories and macronutrients

• Fitbit: This can help you track your daily steps to ensure that you are not being too sedentary

9. Prioritize sleep

This one may seem odd, but it is one that so many medical students seem to ignore. Staying up in late hours may make you seem like you are being productive, but the reality is that peak productivity comes only from having adequate amounts of sleep.

Additionally, getting enough sleep will ensure that you are not feeling tired, fatigued or demotivated to do physical activity.

10. Workout at home

A common reason why many people choose not  to workout is because they do not have a gym membership. However there are numerous exercises that can be done right at your home that can provide the same quality benefits as a gym workout. All you need are some dumbbells or even a medicine ball. If you don’t have these items, you can do things such as bodyweight exercises or even jump rope. Youtube is filled with hundreds of videos on quality at home workout routines. 

In conclusion

As you can see, there are many ways to lead a fit and active lifestyle. Even though medical school is extremely stressful and you have a limited amount of time, the benefits and rewards that come from prioritizing your fitness and health far outweigh the cost of neglecting it. As future physicians who will be responsible for looking after the health of others I think it is is important to live what we preach. This article lists a few of the ways medical students can stay fit but the reality is that there are endless other ways fitness can be incorportated into the difficult and hectic lifestyle of medical students