Fat man seeks active part-time job for LTR.
June 7, 2010 12:50 PM Subscribe
I need a physically demanding part-time job that I can do in the evenings.
I'm a chair-bound computer nerd at my day job, and in the past I've worked part-time jobs in the evening that are also computer based. Welcome to fat city, population ME. I recently ended my last contract and am looking for more part-time work, but I want something physically demanding, or at least physically active. Most of the jobs I see advertised that are good physical exercise are only available fulltime days. I want to do something that's like exercise, but that I'll feel obligated to go to, because I'm getting paid. Even if it's poorly paid. I would welcome your suggestions for evening/night based work or even business ideas that will get me out from behind the monitors and MOVING.
I'm a chair-bound computer nerd at my day job, and in the past I've worked part-time jobs in the evening that are also computer based. Welcome to fat city, population ME. I recently ended my last contract and am looking for more part-time work, but I want something physically demanding, or at least physically active. Most of the jobs I see advertised that are good physical exercise are only available fulltime days. I want to do something that's like exercise, but that I'll feel obligated to go to, because I'm getting paid. Even if it's poorly paid. I would welcome your suggestions for evening/night based work or even business ideas that will get me out from behind the monitors and MOVING.
Night time stock at stores like Wal-Mart and stuff? moving pallets and stuff...usually with a pallet-jack, but moving cases of stuff off of the pallet onto the shelves...
24-hour warehouse work?
just a couple suggestions
posted by AltReality at 12:53 PM on June 7, 2010
24-hour warehouse work?
just a couple suggestions
posted by AltReality at 12:53 PM on June 7, 2010
Waiting tables or bartending might fit the bill. Not hugely strenuous, but you are on your feet moving around a lot. Bartending in particular as long as you are also doing the stocking. You would have to lift cases of beer, maybe move kegs around to change them.
It kind of depends on how late you want to work. There are a lot of stocking-type positions out there, but they often have early morning hours.
posted by ephemerista at 12:54 PM on June 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
It kind of depends on how late you want to work. There are a lot of stocking-type positions out there, but they often have early morning hours.
posted by ephemerista at 12:54 PM on June 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
Waiting tables or bartending will leave you more tired than you've ever been in your life. You can usually sign up for as many shifts as you want, but you have to be able to be at the restaurant by 5 pm or so before the dinner service starts. You might have trouble getting hired without experience (that seems to be the case for any job these days) unless you have friends in food industry who can help you.
posted by halogen at 12:56 PM on June 7, 2010
posted by halogen at 12:56 PM on June 7, 2010
Bar back - more physical than bartending and easier to get a job with no experience. Also night time janitorial work is fairly demanding.
posted by nestor_makhno at 12:58 PM on June 7, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by nestor_makhno at 12:58 PM on June 7, 2010 [4 favorites]
Office cleaning. There are probably a few companies in your area that provide this service - see if you can get hired on a few days a week. Definitely active, and definitely in the evening.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 1:23 PM on June 7, 2010
posted by The Light Fantastic at 1:23 PM on June 7, 2010
Seconding stocking work. Places like Target, Kmart etc are always hiring for night shift stocking work. It is hard work!
posted by The otter lady at 1:25 PM on June 7, 2010
posted by The otter lady at 1:25 PM on June 7, 2010
Seconding the bar back suggestion... seriously whipped me into shape and trained me to be a bartender, eventually.
posted by brand-gnu at 1:42 PM on June 7, 2010
posted by brand-gnu at 1:42 PM on June 7, 2010
Bike courier, either for a package delivery company or a restaurant (if that's offered in your city).
posted by Anali at 1:46 PM on June 7, 2010
posted by Anali at 1:46 PM on June 7, 2010
I have never been to a gym. I have never watched my diet. I waited tables and bartended for almost 20 years. I was slim, if not fit, and could walk forever.
Then I quit.
Now I am fat.
Wait tables. It's surprisingly good exercise.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:48 PM on June 7, 2010
Then I quit.
Now I am fat.
Wait tables. It's surprisingly good exercise.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:48 PM on June 7, 2010
Dishwasher or potscrubber. Easy jobs to get, evenings, very physical.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:57 PM on June 7, 2010
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:57 PM on June 7, 2010
Definitely the cleaning companies. Had a friend who's roommate was a movie theater manager (evenings) and worked for their cleaning company (nights). He also had a day job...no idea when he slept; definitely a workaholic.
posted by Ys at 2:03 PM on June 7, 2010
posted by Ys at 2:03 PM on June 7, 2010
Nthing waiting tables. When I waited tables at a busy restaurant I could eat like a cow and not gain an ounce. Once I quit waitressing for more sedentary work I've had to struggle with my weight ever since.
The downside of waiting tables from a weight point of view is that you are around delicious food all the time, and at some places you can eat a free or discounted meal during your shift, which could be counterproductive to your goals.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 2:13 PM on June 7, 2010
The downside of waiting tables from a weight point of view is that you are around delicious food all the time, and at some places you can eat a free or discounted meal during your shift, which could be counterproductive to your goals.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 2:13 PM on June 7, 2010
UPS. Work four hours, five times a week loading trucks and be more sore than you've ever been before.
posted by DieHipsterDie at 2:28 PM on June 7, 2010
posted by DieHipsterDie at 2:28 PM on June 7, 2010
pedi-cab driver, if you're in a large enough city.
posted by dr. boludo at 3:18 PM on June 7, 2010
posted by dr. boludo at 3:18 PM on June 7, 2010
Nthing UPS. Trust me. I've done physical labor, but nothing compares to UPS. It completely kicked sand into the face of the Charles Atlas program.
posted by nevercalm at 5:11 PM on June 7, 2010
posted by nevercalm at 5:11 PM on June 7, 2010
Another UPS nthing.
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 5:42 PM on June 7, 2010
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 5:42 PM on June 7, 2010
+1 for another UPS/freight company here. It's an environment where they encourage you to move quick and lift heavy stuff. All the packages are also padded and designed for strenuous use.
While bar back/bartending/dishwashing is good exercise too, but you're working with fragile glass and drunk people in tight spaces. It's easy to break things and get in trouble. You might also seem like a psycho if you really try and 'push it' to get a good workout moving quickly as a bartender. But I guess if you do break a ton of glass or get a reputation as a psycho you can just go to a new restaurant/bar and get a new job and go through them like tissue paper, where as with UPS/freight work, there's less of that work in this specific area.
Unforeseen bonus: barback/bartending/restaurant stuff also opened up the opportunity for philandering with loose women... From my experience (and friends experiences) many restaurant/bar staff members hook up with each other. So, hmm. Tough call.
(For the record, I've done both jobs and they're both good workouts.)
posted by jkl345 at 5:55 PM on June 7, 2010
While bar back/bartending/dishwashing is good exercise too, but you're working with fragile glass and drunk people in tight spaces. It's easy to break things and get in trouble. You might also seem like a psycho if you really try and 'push it' to get a good workout moving quickly as a bartender. But I guess if you do break a ton of glass or get a reputation as a psycho you can just go to a new restaurant/bar and get a new job and go through them like tissue paper, where as with UPS/freight work, there's less of that work in this specific area.
Unforeseen bonus: barback/bartending/restaurant stuff also opened up the opportunity for philandering with loose women... From my experience (and friends experiences) many restaurant/bar staff members hook up with each other. So, hmm. Tough call.
(For the record, I've done both jobs and they're both good workouts.)
posted by jkl345 at 5:55 PM on June 7, 2010
FedEx and UPS also have part-time shifts from midnight to 4 or 5am or so. Might work better for you to sleep early, do your physical stuff after midnight, show up at the office wide awake and pumped for the day?
posted by raisingsand at 6:49 PM on June 7, 2010
posted by raisingsand at 6:49 PM on June 7, 2010
starbucks, if you work the closing shift, holy hell will you be tired afterwards.
not only are you on your feet the entire time, but with closing comes sweeping/mopping, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning windows, washing tons and tons of dishes, breaking down machines and putting them back together....
it was a serious workout, downside is the pay is atrocious, but it was kind of fun sometimes.
posted by thisisnotkatrina at 6:52 PM on June 7, 2010
not only are you on your feet the entire time, but with closing comes sweeping/mopping, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning windows, washing tons and tons of dishes, breaking down machines and putting them back together....
it was a serious workout, downside is the pay is atrocious, but it was kind of fun sometimes.
posted by thisisnotkatrina at 6:52 PM on June 7, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by aniola at 12:53 PM on June 7, 2010