Staying Healthy in Medicine as a PA

Between full-time clinical work and everything else, staying active takes creativity, not a perfect gym routine. In undergrad you might walk everywhere without thinking about it, then suddenly you're sitting in a classroom or clinic for eight hours a day and that built-in movement disappears.

The fix is finding your small pockets of time and dedicating some of them to moving your body. Family walks, chasing a toddler, or a 10 to 15 minute walk during lunch all count. Some fitness trackers and smartwatches will even nudge you when you've been sitting too long. You don't need an hour at the gym to make progress, you need consistency in the time you actually have.

With delicious fast food on every corner, the easy option usually wins, so this is a place to aim for moderation rather than perfection. Salads and wraps can be just as satisfying as the burger you'd normally grab, and small shifts like less sugar, watching portions, and understanding what's in your food add up. Planning even one day of meals ahead can make a real difference, especially since we make a surprising number of food decisions every single day.

Workouts are more likely to happen if you schedule them for the time of day you actually have energy. For many people that's the morning, before the distractions and exhaustion of a full day of patients pile up. Whether morning, lunch, or evening works best for you, write it in your planner or phone and treat it like an appointment so it actually happens.

If you're good at talking yourself out of things, accountability helps. Putting some skin in the game, like paying for equipment or working with a coach, can be what finally makes a habit stick when free YouTube workouts and blogs didn't. Accountability can also come from a Facebook group built around healthy habits or a friend who's working toward the same goal, so you can encourage each other.

Just as important is taking real time off, mentally and physically. We carry a heavy mental load, so give yourself breaks, including days off social media, which can quietly discourage you by showing an illusion of someone else's life. Keep some kind of getaway on the calendar, even just a weekend at the beach or time with family. Working in medicine is taxing, and protecting your mental health this way is one of the best ways to prevent burnout.

Staying healthy in medicine is a long game built on small, repeatable habits, not an all-or-nothing overhaul. Pick one thing this week, whether it's a lunchtime walk, a planned meal, or a scheduled workout, and let it build from there. We'd love to hear how you stay healthy in medicine, so share your own tips and tag us when you do.