Fitness
7 reasons to exercise during your lunch break
Those precious 60 minutes are all yours… use them wisely.
All too many office employees work straight through their lunch hours – barely moving away from their desks – in order to cram as much into their 9-5 (and beyond) as possible. But skipping your lunch break actually makes you less productive, not more.
Here are eight reasons why using those 60 minutes to boost your fitness is one of the most positive things you can do…
1. There’s no need to get out of bed at the crack of dawn
Say goodbye to early starts by shifting your workout to midday
© sigridgombert / RooM / Getty
You have to set your alarm for crazy o’clock as it is, in order to rise, shine and be at your desk on time. Trying to fit in a pre-work fitness session as well is sometimes just too overwhelming. Save your workout for lunchtime, and make the most of catching a few more zs in your cosy bed each morning.
2. It establishes a genuine work-life balance
Choose your favourite fitness class and make it a firm fixture in your day
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Lunchtime exercise can help you to build a healthier attitude towards your work-life balance, says Dr Chris Sharnbrook – a Psychology Consultant for the GB Rowing Team and Founder of PlanetK2 and The Performance Room. “Rather than seeing work and life as two separate things, lunchtime exercise establishes a routine where the two are balanced throughout the day."
A midday workout allows you to split a long workday into two halves, separated by an activity that makes you feel good. This “worthwhile time-out” engages your brain and body in a different way, giving you a chance to refresh and ‘re-start’ your workday with all the positive hormonal and psychological benefits that exercise brings.
3. It will reinvigorate you
Head into your afternoon meetings refreshed after a lunchtime workout
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It’s safe to say no-one has ever returned to their desk after a fitness session feeling more lethargic than when they left. Studies have shown that exercise can reduce feelings of fatigue, so if it's been a busy morning, a lunchtime workout could be just the ticket to help get you through an afternoon of back-to-back meetings.
4. It could control your sugar cravings
Providing you don’t overdo it, a lunchtime workout could help you to overcome the post-lunch slump by boosting metabolism and energy levels. “Even a brisk walk in the fresh air can help with this,” says Matt.
“Exercise has been shown to suppress appetite in the hours after activity, by regulating your blood sugar levels. So if you’re prone to grazing on sugary foods through the afternoon, a lunchtime workout could help curb the habit."
4. It will offer up new activities and/or surroundings
Boxing might just be your new jam
© Virgyl Sowah / Unsplash
“Lunchtimes are also an opportunity to build variety into your exercise routine,” adds Chris. “Whether you’re training for a marathon or following a couch-to-5K programme, there’s a range of longer and shorter workouts you could do – from long steady runs to interval training – so find out what type of sessions fit best for lunchtime."
And check if there any fitness classes available close to your workplace – the nearby gym might put on classes you’d never considered before. Even having a different instructor can mix things up a bit, as you’ll find they may challenge you in new ways, helping to improve your strength and fitnes
5. You can enlist your colleagues
Working out with colleagues can boost your mood and social network
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The only thing better than exercising in your lunch break? Exercising in your lunch break with friends. Seriously, a run chat with colleagues is one of the best ways to let off steam, seeing as it ticks off two big happiness hits – exercise and social interaction. Or why not organise a game of five-a-side football or rounders in a nearby park – a great way to interact with people from the office you wouldn’t normally hang out with.
6. It will lower your stress levels
Say goodbye to stress-fuelled afternoons
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According to statistics, 15.4 million working days were lost due to work-related stress, anxiety or depression in 2017/18. Fortunately exercise has been proven to reduce symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety. Even a brisk walk is enough to help, so step up, step out and take some positive action against stress.
7. You’ll free up your evenings
Tick your workout off at lunchtime and enjoy the long summer evenings
© Robert Bye
Dragging yourself to the gym can be mentally tough after a full day in the office when you’re feeling drained and are ready to call it a night. If, however, you’ve already done your exercise session in your lunch hour, it’s a conundrum you simply don’t have to deal with anymore. You can hang out with friends or curl up on the sofa, safe in the (ever so slightly smug) knowledge that you’ve already ticked exercise off your to-do list for the day.
Going all out on staying in this December? Go to redbull.co.uk/hometime for more tips on how to make the most of your home time and for the chance to get wiiings delivered to your door!
