Training during lunch break: How do you organize yourself and what are the benefits?
It is important to find time during your day to be physically active. Here's how to use your lunch break to stay energized.
Training early in the morning has countless advantages, but the main disadvantages relate to the difficulty of getting up early when everyone is asleep.
The perspective is different for those who decide to take advantage of their lunch break to devote themselves to their daily sporting activities. In this case, the main problems are related to the ergonomics.
Most people do a typical eight hour desk job away from home with only an hour lunch break. Then there are those who do not have the opportunity to leave early in the evening, such as those who work in contact with customers in stores. The most fortunate are those who can manage their time independently or who do not have fixed, pre-set schedules. In any case, it is always possible to take a break from your work day and devote an hour, or even less, to exercise.
How do you make your lunch break more active?
To avoid wasting valuable time, especially when you have a little of it, the first thing you need to do is prepare everything you need to train the day before. This way, everything will be ready the next morning and you won't risk forgetting anything. This advice applies not only to those who leave the house, but also to those who work from home or come home during a break. Also, if your hardware is prepackaged, you won't have an acceptable excuse not to train.
It is also important to plan your training until the second. In fact, apart from the sporting activity itself, you'll need time to get into your gym clothes, shower, get dressed, and eat lunch quickly.
Many people prefer not to exercise during their lunch break, for fear of limited time. But a little time does not mean that it is impossible. On the contrary, it means reducing everything and focusing everything in a shorter period of time. If you are used to running for sixty minutes, during your lunch break, you can for example devote only half an hour to training, thus changing your habits. Instead of
classic training, you can devote yourself to building muscle with cross training, a stretching session or a good session based on short and intense repetitions (why not on the treadmill). The same goes for those who are devoted to swimming, another problem associated with sports activity during lunch break is finding a place to train, even if running offers multiple possibilities. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a dressing room with a shower in their company or a gym (or swimming pool) nearby. The easiest way is to take advantage of the amenities in these establishments.
On the other hand, for those who can manage their time freely, the work break that must be taken into account for a full training should be about two hours: a quarter of an hour of preparation, an hour of training, a quarter of an hour for showering and changing, half an hour for lunch. The shorter the time, the more you will have to try to improve the time you have.
All the benefits of training during your lunch break
The benefits of physical activity during the lunch break are varied. First of all, dividing the working day into two distinct moments: mentally, it is easier to cope with four hours of work at a time, and replenishment of training allows you to better manage the second part of the day. With the advantage, often, also the ability to find a solution to all the problems that arose during the morning.
Another advantage relates to the fact that, as with physical activity carried out in the early hours of the day, training during the lunch break increases calcium levels in the blood. This, in turn, increases the production of endorphins and dopamine, the hormone that makes you feel good, happy, and satisfied. As soon as you return to the office, you will feel energized (and not tired at all!), hyper-energy and good spirits, and in the business you will gain profitability.
For those who train outdoors, doing so during their lunch break is beneficial, especially during the cold season, when central working hours are usually less moderate. Running or riding a bike in the winter under the sun and blue sky is rewarding and comfortable, not forgetting that it allows you to activate, albeit in a lesser part, the processes of vitamin D synthesis. On the other hand, during hot days,
especially in summer, training during your lunch break can be tiring. Always assess the outside temperature and take all necessary precautions so as not to risk feeling unwell during and after training. In this case, the interior choice becomes important thanks to the possibility to take advantage of air conditioning and cooler spaces. It should also be taken into account that the body will take longer to stop sweating, so it will be necessary to count a few more minutes after training before returning to the office.
From a diet point of view, running during your lunch break is a great habit, as it allows you to properly divide the five meals that should make up the daily diet. If you run in the middle of the day, you need to eat nutrients during breakfast, and not only croissant - coffee with milk, but also consume a good balance of foods rich in carbohydrates, proteins and fats. During your mid-morning snack, you can eat
more carbohydrates in preparation for the physical activity you will be doing later. Alternatively, post-workout lunch can be used to burn calories during athletic activity, while also paying attention to and reintegrating the amount of fluid lost. It is best not to overeat to avoid feeling tired and sleeping in the office all afternoon.
Not everyone is an athlete, but being an example to your fellow sedentary people by encouraging them to do activities, alone or in a group, is a good habit not only for yourself, but also for productivity in general. See for yourself!