Help Hints for Staying Fit & Healthy While Working in FIFO

FIFO workers can find it challenging to stay fit and healthy during their swings. FIFO often involves long hours, night shifts and physically demanding work in remote conditions.

Despite the sometimes harsh conditions and the long hours, keeping a regular fitness & health routine shouldn’t be an impossible task and can have great benefits to both your mental and physical states.

Taking care of your health is of utmost importance no matter what your situation. Below we explore ways to help FIFO workers stay fit, active and healthy.  

Eat Healthy Food

Just like putting the wrong fuel in your car can have damaging affects on how it runs, so can putting the wrong fuel in your body. By fuel, we mean food. Your body runs off the food you feed it much the same as your car runs off petrol.
In FIFO, meals are usually buffet which means you’re given plenty of options. Choosing to eat healthy, nutrient rich meals is the best way to ensure that you are providing your body with the kind of fuel it requires to perform at its peak. Always include fresh fruit & vegetables in your daily meal plan and ensure you drink enough water every day.

Exercise Regularly

It’s no secret that exercise is an effective way to maintain a fit and healthy body. You don’t need to be a gym junkie pumping iron every day to feel the benefits of regular exercise. A simple 30minute walk or some basic floor exercises can help boost your physical and mental health. 

The problem that lies with FIFO workers is that they often work long shifts and can struggle to find the time, and energy, for exercise. It’s important to set yourself a realistic plan. Don’t start your hitch by setting a goal to run 5kms every day – it’s likely that by the end of the hitch, you won’t have the energy for a long run. Instead, account for your fatigue at the end of a working day. Choose activities that will be achievable no matter how long your shift was. That way, when you manage to maintain the exercise routine, you’ll not only feel better in your health but you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment that you were able to maintain your goals.

Below are some tips for regular exercise to maintain your fitness:

· Walking – if it is safe to do so, try some exploring. Often these remote camps are nestled amongst some incredible landscapes. These are places that most people in Australia will never get to see in person. A walk around the grounds is a great way to improve your energy levels and give you some much needed fresh air.

·  Running – again, if safe to do so, perhaps plan a track in your mind and go for a run after work. Who knows, maybe you’ll motivate others to join in!

· Skipping – no, I don’t mean skipping like a child would on their way to the playground. A skipping rope is a lightweight piece of exercise equipment that won’t take up room in your suitcase. Skipping gets your heart rate up and requires endurance and concentration to maintain for a length of time. Challenge yourself to improve and achieve new goals each session.

·  Stretching – you don’t need any equipment to improve your flexibility. A good stretch can go a long way and can be done anywhere. Whether it’s a toe tap or an arm stretch, your muscles will thank you.

· Equipment-free exercises – if your site doesn’t have a gym, get creative and improvise! Floor exercises and improvised weights can yield fantastic results.

· Gym – some sites provide gyms of various sizes for staff on site. These are an excellent way to stay on top of your routine.

Find Healthy Ways to Relieve Stress

A big key to maintaining your overall health & fitness during your hitch is finding the best, most effective stress release for you. No matter what position you work, it’s a long day often in extreme weather conditions. Tempers can flare and stress can build quickly.

One way to avoid finding yourself facing a stress breakdown is to find a release that you can do both inside and outside work hours.

Inside work hours might be as simple as repeating a positive, calming mantra. It could be squeezing a stress ball. Maybe it is counting backwards from ten – failing that, try counting backwards from thirty!

Outside of work hours you may find exercise a good release. Others have said that reading helps. Calling family for a vent can be effective as well. Some bring consoles on their hitch to play games. Whatever works for you, make sure you incorporate it into your routine to ensure you take care of yourself every day.

Friends Don’t Let Friends Sit…For long

One of the best things about FIFO work is that you’re rarely alone for very long. Often you’re working with a team of people. Given the nature of the work, you’ll often find yourself working with the same team on a regular basis and therefore friendships can form.

If you’re finding it difficult to maintain motivation, you may find yourself more motivated to exercise if you are able to do so with a friend or a group. A group walk around the camp or perhaps starting/joining a group Yoga session to encourage others to join in.

Maintain the Routine at Home

In order to avoid losing momentum, and ultimately making it harder for yourself to get back into the routine, a good trick to keeping fit is to maintain your routine while at home as well as while on hitch. The scenery may have changed but your workout doesn’t have to.

Maintaining a steady fitness routine will help you in the long run when you return for your next hitch.

“Exercise not only changes your body. It changes your mind, your attitude and your mood” - Anonymous

Although it may be the last thing on your mind after a long day at work, a quick exercise session can do wonders for you. It can act as a stress release, fuel your energy levels and improve your mood. It’s all about setting realistic goals and sticking to your routine and you’ll see real results in no time.