The Lunch Break Workout (And How to Avoid Being Sweaty When You Return to the Office!)

Here at Think Big Partners, we love lunch.  We love ordering in from awesome Kansas City restaurants like The Mixx, Nica's 320, the Art of Pizza and even Grinder's.  But if you sit back and think about it, lunch takes up a lot of time every single day.  It takes 5 minutes to decide what you want for lunch, 5 minutes to drive to the restaurant, 45 minutes to eat, and 5 minutes to drive back.  Over an hour of your day was wasted (unless you happened to meet with someone important over your lunch hour!).


So how can you take advantage of your lunch hour?  Why not work out instead?  Nix sitting down at the local restaurant and try eating lunch at your desk instead.  Use that lunch hour for something good--a full-body workout!

Working out over the lunch hour does require a little bit of planning and coordination.  But once you get into the swing of things, you may never go back to those late-night or early-morning workouts again.  Here are some of my quick tips for working out over the lunch hour:


1.  Find a local gym near the office.  If your current gym is located closer to your home, it may be time to switch!


2.  Beef up the intensity.  Quick workouts are proven to be more effective than long, slow paced workouts.  Research proves that just 15 minutes of exercise can get you nearly the same effect as a 60 minute workout.  So if you're going on a walk during the lunch hour, pick up the pace (or carry something heavy with you!).


3.  Lift weights instead of cardio.  If you decide to try the lunch hour workout, try lifting weights instead of hopping on the treadmill.  When lifting weights, our bodies do not produce as much sweat as when we perform cardio workouts.  That means you may not have to shower before you head back to the office (bonus!).


4.  Have your coworkers work out with you.  It's more motivational and more fun.


5.  Try circuit training.  Short bursts of resistance exercise with moderate weights and frequent repetitions are perfect for the lunch hour workout.  This type of exercise allows for muscle confusion and allows for a full-body workout in a short amount of time.


What do you have to lose (other than maybe a few inches!)?  Try the lunch hour workout today.  Let's see what you're made of!


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