It’s High Noon for Your Excuses

Morning workouts are a great way to start your day! Pop out of bed, grab a cup of black coffee and a lite breakfast, and then hit the gym to get the blood flowing and create a calorie deficit before the workday begins. Sounds great, right?

The reality of it is that…you are NOT a morning person. That snooze button is mighty tempting, and a lot of us just feel good that we made it to work on time, let alone getting something healthy for breakfast! So we tell ourselves that we’ll hit the gym after work, knock out a great workout, and then make a quick and healthy dinner when we get home.

But suddenly it’s a quarter-to-5 and all you can think of is trying to beat the traffic home. Dinner? Probably fast food again because work was a real pain in the you-know-what today and you don’t have the energy to cook and do dishes. Maybe just a small chocolate shake to drink on the way home that you can discreetly toss in the garbage can before the family sees it.

Any of this sound familiar? It can be difficult to develop a consistent workout habit, and new fitness regimens are usually easier to knock off track than one you’ve stuck with for years. So your work-out plan keeps getting put off while the number on the scale creeps up because there’s “not enough time” for you to work out.

It’s high noon for these excuses. Your lunch hour is an opportunity to seize upon the fully awake feeling you now have after the work day (and perhaps a little caffeine) has stimulated your mind, before the stress of the day saps the rest of your energy reserves. Here are some tips for starting your Workout Lunch Diet:

Have a healthy lunch option. A workday lunch can be a minefield for someone who is trying to eat better. Going out to eat with co-workers or getting something from the break room vending machine rarely results in a healthy lunch experience. A couple handfuls of nuts and some fresh fruit and/or vegetables is a healthy way to sustain your energy while avoiding a 1000-calories-or-more fast food value meal.

Hit the gym at lunch. The health club is not as busy as you might think it would be at lunchtime! 20 minutes might not feel like a full workout, but 20 minutes is more than zero. If it’s an option, rent a locker to keep toiletries in so you can get a refreshing shower before you head back to work.

Have a plan. For the sake of time management, it’s crucial to plan. Create a few workout routines to mix things up and give you options in the event that the equipment you want to use is occupied. Trying to figure out what you are going to do when you get to the club is a waste of precious lunch-hour minutes! A workout at a higher intensity can make up for the brevity that your schedule might require. Ask a fitness professional to help you create some routines that work for you.

Strength in numbers. Studies have shown that you are more likely to stick with a new workout routine if you have a partner to keep you accountable. Grab your significant other, friend, or even a co-worker and devise a lunch routine that will improve everyone’s health, then be sure to tell it like it is if they start to backslide. Remember, you are only trying to help them better their health!