Six Ideas for Lunch-Hour Fitness

Experts often recommend taking a half-hour walk during your office lunch hour, and it’s true that that’s a great way to get your blood  moving, burn some calories and feel healthier and happier. However, walking day after day can get boring — not to mention, cardiovascular exercise is only half the equation.

When you’re looking to change things up, here are some great exercises you can do during your lunch hour to get into tip-top shape.

1. Lunges in the park:

If you’re near a park, take advantage of your lunch hour to get out into nature, where you’ll feel refreshed almost instantly by surrounding yourself with greenery. Even if you’re not near a green space, you can find a sidewalk or hallway that isn’t very busy and do walking lunges. Take big steps, and bend down with each step so that your front leg is bent at a 90-degree angle (your knee should not extend past your foot), and your back leg is bent in the same direction at a slightly wider angle. Pause for a moment in the deepest part of the lunge, then slowly rise up and take your next step.

2. Push-ups, squats and crunches:

Find a quiet, empty conference room during your lunch hour, and you can make your own gym. Any strength exercise that uses your own body weight can be done just as easily at work as at the gym. Do modified push-ups by using stairs or a desk to hold you up, if you need to.

3. Yoga:

Bring a yoga mat to work with you. All exercise helps with stress reduction, but yoga is particularly known for its stress-relieving benefits, making it an ideal workout to break up the workday. If you know yoga already, find an empty conference room or head to the park and go through your normal routine. If you don’t, the Internet is full of videos that can help you along, so grab your laptop or smart phone and get to work!

4. Climb stairs:

There are few exercises that get your heart pumping as quickly as climbing stairs — and the great thing is, almost every office building has some. So many people take the elevator that stairs are often empty, making them a great place to work out in peace.

5. Interval sprints:

One way to improve on walking is by mixing it up with sprints. Choose a time goal, such as 30 seconds of fast running, or a distance goal, such as the telephone pole up ahead, then get moving! Walk in between your sprints until you’re recovered, then sprint again.

6. Add weights to your walk. Improve on the benefits you get from a lunchtime walk by bringing along hand weights or wearing a weight belt around your waist.

Lunchtime workouts don’t have to be boring. Mix it up and get creative, and you’ll not only be more likely to stick with it, you’ll lose
more weight and feel energized for the rest of the workday.

About the Author:

Patty Englebaugh founded ErgoStoreOnline.com in 1993. She has 19 years of experience installing ergonomic office furniture and computer accessories that create healthy work environments in home and corporate offices as well as in the healthcare, education, government, and business sectors. Call her today (Mon-Fri 8-6pm EST) for one-on-one support for your ergonomic needs:
(877) 971-0151.

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