How to squeeze the workout into weekday lunch breaks

When put to good use, the office lunch break can be an incredibly productive time of day. Time-poor runners with hectic lives often can find that once the workday is over, home life is just more demanding. Making time for a well-rounded workout with all the extras might not happen as often as preferred. The mid-day lunch break can be a solution. You may only have a half hour to an hour so an intense interval session may not be an option but these ideas take only as long as you’d like them to take and they hardly require a shower afterwards.

Stretch it out. Find a gentle yoga class at a nearby gym for the lunch break to loosen those muscles that have tightened from running. If there isn’t one, round up a few coworkers and head to a park to do your own yoga stretching sequence.

Speed walk or bike. Going for a brisk-paced walk is something that everyone can do regardless of where the office is situated. Used to sitting at the desk all day? Going for a fast walk or bike ride will do enough to get rid of that mid-day slump. When coming back, you’ll feel fresh. For runners, walking isn’t going to be the main workout in the day but it can compliment running and it’s certainly better than staying sedentary.

Plank. The best thing about planks is that they never get old. There are so many ways to spice up the plank but even doing a few minutes nonstop of regular and side planks every lunch break adds up over time. Runners need a strong core! If the usual planks get old, throw in some shoulder touches or leg lifts.

Pack a resistance band. Unlike weights or med balls, resistance bands are light and easy to throw into the purse or work bag. Rather than adding weight, these bands help you to use your own body weight to create resistance. Try doing basic bicep curls with the band. Lay the band in front of you on the floor. Place feet on the band shoulder-width apart. Grab the ends of the band with both hands and raise and lower them to the ground in the same action as if you were doing regular bicep curls with weights. For another move, try lateral raises. Standing on the band, grab it by the end and keeping arms straight, raise them to the sides forming a “T” with your body. Slowly lower them back down.

Squats. Work those glutes by doing some squats on the lunch break. There are many different types that can help improve balance or target other muscles groups. Start simple. Put arms behind the head like when doing curl ups. Slowly ease into squat position and hold. To make it harder, get a weight or med ball. Hold it straight out in front of your body as you squat.