Maintaining Regular Exercise In Pharmacy School

By Shelby, fourth year pharmacy student, @shelbypharmd

 Whether you are new to pharmacy school or on rotations this year, I know it can be super demanding for your time and energy. Sometimes our health is put on the backburner so that we can address an upcoming exam, deadlines, or other life commitments. We don’t get enough sleep, we don’t take the time to cook meals, and we don’t remember the last time we put on some exercise clothes other than to be comfortable for a study session. I’ve been there.

 You would think as “healthcare professionals” we would be the role model of health. Those of us studying or working in this field know that couldn’t be further from the truth sometimes.

 We sacrifice our time with loved ones and years of our 20s in order to pursue this dream. And I am so grateful that I will have a role in improving the lives of others as my full time career.

 But we need to take care of ourselves too! It is cliché, but how can we help others if first don’t take care of ourselves?

 There are so many areas of self-care to discuss but I will talk from personal experience about how I started and continue to fit in strength training during pharmacy school.

 A little background of my fitness journey. Growing up, I was never the sporty person. In fact, I’m very uncoordinated, not very fast and not at all competitive. But I wanted to be skinny. I tortured myself with too much cardio and crazy diets. It wasn’t fun, it was an obsession.

 Fast-forward to undergrad where I stumbled upon Whitney Simmons on Youtube while looking for healthy meal ideas. I saw her other videos with weightlifting routines and I wanted to try it.

 I was *terrified* of the weightlifting room. If I couldn’t find something, I would immediately turn around, walk out, and go on the elliptical.

 But I kept going back.

 And it became less about shrinking myself and more about taking up space. Appreciating my body for what it can do. I focused on setting strength goals, not on how I looked.

 I spent more time on Youtube, finding all these women who showed me that weightlifting isn’t just for men and doesn’t make you bulky. In fact, it is really hard to gain muscle as a woman!

 Even better is that strength training is a vital component to overall wellbeing. And since I’m a science nerd, let’s talk evidence!

Strength or resistance training helps to:

·         Increases your resting metabolic rate (burn more calories when resting)

·         Protect your joints from injury

·         Maintain balance to promote healthy aging

·         Prevent or control diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, pain, depression, obesity, overall mortality

·         Preserve or improve bone mineral density to help prevent osteoporosis

In addition to the endless health benefits, it is extremely empowering.

 Nothing feels better than being strong. Knowing that you can squat more than you weigh. That you can deadlift with great form. The feeling that you don’t need to apologize to anyone for taking up space in the weight room. You don’t need to apologize for feeling confident.

 Let’s be real though, I didn’t get here overnight. It was hard. I woke up at 5:30 am multiple times a week because that was the only time I could go. But I did it because I *love* it. It was my escape from the stress, from having to think about my to-do list.

 My best piece of advice is to find a type of movement or exercise you love. I can’t make you love weightlifting if you truly don’t. And you won’t get up in the morning or go late at night if you don’t love it at least some of the time.

 You also need discipline. My friends would ask me, what’s your secret to going to the gym regularly? What keeps you motivated?

 I tell them this: don’t rely on motivation. Motivation is fleeting, it comes and goes. Even if I don’t feel like going, I go (most of the time). And I feel 100% better once I’m there. The hardest part is getting dressed and going in the first place.

Ways to make it easier on yourself: pack your gym clothes in advance and plan your workout in advance. Take the thought out of it so you have less time to hesitate.

 Fitting it in with school will not be picture perfect. There are weeks where you may skip the gym entirely because exams have taken over your life. Find other ways to take care of your body if you can. Take a walk. Do some yoga, stretching, or meditation. Eat a fruit or vegetable.

If you only allow yourself to pursue habits when everything goes perfectly as planned, they won’t last. Expect yourself to mess up. To have breaks or lapses. It’s about going back to that habit that is most important.

 There isn’t a right or wrong answer to exercising during school. And I won’t think less of you if you don’t lift weights or fit exercise in. Everyone has their own priorities! But I hope sharing my experience helps you with incorporating some activity in your schedule. And to try picking up a weight you haven’t before! J

Thanks for reading! Let me know if this was helpful.

You can find me on Instagram @shelbypharmD. I share my pharmacy journey as a current fourth year student on rotations, pharmacy school tips, evidence based medicine, and some of my personal life. My DM’s are always open, come say hi!