The key to shift worker happiness is undeniably fatigue management because finding a way to reduce your fatigue when you work irregular hours can be a massive daily upheaval.

In fact the quest for many shift workers is to find the Magical Golden Ticket. That is, to find that one ‘Magic Pill’ that is going to help end their feelings of chronic fatigue, tiredness and exhaustion.

Something that you could personally relate to I’m sure.

But the bad news is there is no such thing as a ‘Magic Pill’. It simply does not exist.

Which is a bit of a shame really because it would be great to wake up bursting with energy, despite having worked an early shift or night shift the day before.

Of course there is a cheap and easy fatigue management strategy that many shift workers overlook and it’s simply called exercise. Yes, that’s right – the art of moving your body.

Our bodies are designed to move. They are not designed to sit on a chair all day or step onto an escalator to get to a higher floor. We are designed to step, run, climb, stretch or even jump over things.

But the harsh reality is that technology has made us lazy. Incredibly lazy.

Now if the word exercise sends you into a bit of panic, don’t fear. Because exercise doesn’t mean that you have to sign up to join a gym or run 50 laps around an oval (thank goodness).

It’s about moving your body in a way that you enjoy, and fitting it into your day so that you can then make it a part of your life. And that really is the key – a part of your life. There’s no point going on a massive health kick and doing lots of exercise for a limited time, that’s not how it works. It’s about making exercise a part of your life – forever!

Despite what you may think, you simply cannot afford not to exercise when you work shift work.

And it’s really easy to begin by just taking a look at your running shoes. (Don’t worry – you don’t actually have to ‘run’ in them). If you take them for a 15-20 minute walk every second day this will go along way into helping to restore and rejuvenate your energy depleted shift worker body.

So start using exercise as your fatigue management strategy. It’s going to help to improve your sleep, increase your energy levels, reduce muscle tension and also alleviate the effects of stress – a condition experienced by many shift workers around the world.

If you’re a shift worker that is prone to catching anything and everything that goes around – don’t worry, you’re certainly not alone. Given the fact that lowering your stress levels and getting 7-8 hours sleep a night helps decrease your chances of catching colds - the odds are certainly against us!

So what are some simple things that you can do, that will help you to stay healthy and stop cold and flu bugs in their tracks?

Well to begin with, research shows a direct link between regular physical activity and improved immune function. This is largely due to the fact that when you exercise, immune cells circulate more quickly throughout your body and are more powerful in destroying viruses and bacteria.

In fact a study at the University of South Carolina in the US, looked at the relationship between levels of activity and the risk of catching a cold, and found that those who participated in moderate to high-intensity exercise four times a week caught 20 to 30 per cent fewer colds than those who exercised less or not at all.

Of course, moderation is the key. If you are sick then you need to take it easy and rest because you need to use all of your energy to fight the virus or bacterial infection.

But certainly having a good level of general fitness, particularly cardiovascular fitness, will boost your immune system and protect you from the nasties, particularly the cold and flu bugs!

However like with anything – it’s certainly not a guarantee.

And on the other hand, too much exercise will suppress your immune system with frequent colds being one of the signs of over-training.

So even though you may not have total control over your shift work health – particularly when it comes to your stress levels and the amount of sleep that you’re able to get (especially if you work night shift), just stay focused on the things that you can change - and exercise is certainly one of them.

Now talking of exercise, I’m off to dust off my treadmill and give it a workout right now!