It always amazes me how folks spend serious amounts of energy trying to get more out of less. Nowhere is this more evident to me, as a coach, than in the elusive lunch hour. If you don’t believe me, try hanging around downtown Boston between 11:30am and 1:00pm on any given workday. Folks are literally sprinting around, trying to get to the gym for a 30 min workout. I guess if you run really hard, the gym commute kinda becomes part of the workout. But then you end up back at your desk all sweaty, etc.
Unless this is your only time during the day to workout, I think there are better ways to use your time. Not every quality workout has to involve breaking a sweat. If you are fortunate enough to have a company gym / workout space, then the following suggestions should be easy enough to implement. If you don’t, consider closing your office door for your lunch hour. And if you work in a cubicle, well, you’ll probably get some serious stares…maybe that outside gym isn’t a bad idea after all.
- Consider taking 30 minutes to stretch right in your office / workspace.
- Do some toe raises / calf raises to strengthen your lower legs.
- Maybe do some light yoga to relax yourself mentally and physically.
- If you have to break a sweat, you can do a short core routine – no equipment needed – right in your office space / office gym.
While the above ideas may sound cheesy, they make a great deal of sense from a planning perspective. Think about it…what kind of quality aerobic workout can you really get done in 30-45 minutes? Besides that, these are the types of workouts that most folks usually skip…and improved flexibility, core strength, and lower leg durability really do make a difference in your training and racing.
What do you use your lunch hour for?
Hi, I'm Patrick McCrann. 
