Move Your Body

Props to those girls who faithfully trek to the gym at 5:15 every day after work. But for some of us, just the thought of working out after putting in a full eight hours is enough to break a sweat. That 60 minute break in the middle of your day – also known as your lunch hour – can be the perfect time to fit in a work out. Not only does exercising in the middle of the day free up your evenings, but it can also help reduce work-related stress and increase productivity during the afternoon. Here are some ways to make a lunchtime work out work for you:

• Choose convenience. Since you are working with limited time, it’s important to pick a gym that’s close by. If your company has a fitness center or a work out room, take advantage of it! You can often use these facilities for a nominal fee, if not for free. If not, do some investigating to find a gym near your work. You can probably find something within walking distance or a short drive.

• Just walk away. Schedule an hour-long lunch meeting with yourself through Outlook and have a reminder pop up on your screen at noon. Recruit a friend to stop by your office on her way to the gym. Do whatever you have to do to force yourself to stop answering email and get your muscles moving.

• Make it count. Don’t try to fit a total body workout in an hour. The American Heart Association says that just 30 minutes of physical activity done on most days of the week is shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. A half hour workout leaves you 15 minutes beforehand to change clothes and 15 minutes afterwards to shower and freshen up. If you find an hour just isn’t long enough, see if you can work something out with your manager – take a longer lunch and come in early or stay late to make up the time.

• Brown bag it. Bring lunch from home and eat at your desk after exercising. There are a variety of low cal frozen meals that make for tasty lunches. You can also bring healthy snacks like fruit or almonds to graze on throughout the day and help satisfy cravings. You’ll probably find that you consume fewer calories than if you went out for lunch – and you’ll be saving money too.

• Don’t sweat it. After a particularly frustrating meeting, you may just need to get out of the building and vent to some coworkers over lunch. Don’t beat yourself up for skipping your workout. See if you can exercise another day that week instead. If not, take comfort in the fact that you are getting your fitness back on track, and vow to hit the gym again tomorrow.