Boost your fitness with lunch break workouts

REGULAR exercise is important, but finding time to do it isn’t always easy, especially if you have a long commute, work irregular shift patterns or have children, or other dependants.

The answer, though, or at least part of it, could lie where you least expect it, in the very place you think is stopping you getting fit: the office.

Incorporating some exercise into your workday is a great way of not impacting on your time after work, while also helping ‘undo’ some of the damage of a sedentary desk job.

It promotes the management of stress, improves your general mental health and reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer by up to 50%.

Not everybody has the luxury of a one-hour lunch break, and your place of work might be miles from a gym, but where there’s a will there’s a way, and even a short break can be turned into a wellbeing-booster.

JOG ON

How about getting outside in the fresh air for a run? If you are close to a park then jog around it, otherwise use the streets. Benches and steps can be used to break up the run with various exercises, like push-ups. A gentle, 15-minute jog can burn more than 100 calories, while a 30-minute run could burn four times that amount. Interval running has greater fat-burning benefits and involves alternating sprinting and jogging.

WALK THE WALK

Walking has a range of benefits including releasing feelgood endorphins and improving health and fitness. It can be an ideal activity for people with injuries or health problems, but while it’s gentle, you still get the blood pumping. Walking at a fast pace burns twice as many calories as a simple stroll, so how much you push yourself is down to you.

CLASS ACT

If you are lucky enough to work close to a gym, then fast classes are popular, with many offering classes as short as 20 minutes. Classes will vary but tend to focus on HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Fitness instructor Anser Amado, Tabata, highlights the benefits: “Why go on the treadmill for an hour, when you can achieve better results in four minutes? This intense workout makes your body burn calories for up to 12 hours.”

CLUB TOGETHER

If you work for a big organisation, then why not ask HR what their policies are for having a trainer or instructor come to your building to do subsidised classes? You could organise a Zumba class, yoga or pilates, or aerobics — all great workouts that could fit into a lunch break. Exercise enhances productivity and getting colleagues interacting can help promote teamwork — so your bosses will benefit too. !

STRETCH IT OUT

If you only get short breaks and getting outdoors is not an option, don’t let that be a barrier. Even if you only have 15 minutes, find a quiet room and do some gentle stretching exercises. Yoga and pilates increase flexibility, core stability and strength — and get the blood pumping. The breathing also benefits your overall wellbeing.There are exercises on YouTube, as well as apps that guide you through the movements.