Anybody in here lift on your lunch break?

I've gone to the gym to lift, for yoga, and for aerobics/boot camp classes. I also regularly go for a run mid afternoon. I generally change into workout clothes and change back into my previous work clothes after my workout. I am in a small office and everyone knows I do it, but it has never been an issue.

All offices are different and probably the biggest determining factor is what kind of work you do, do you have regular face-to-face meetings with clients, and are you going to cause your work area to smell like a sweaty gym locker room.

Some workplaces encourage employees to workout or to at least take walking breaks because along with health benefits (i.e. insurance cost), it gives them a mental break and they are more focused when they return to work.

It might not hurt to have a well thought out explanation of how you working out at lunch is beneficial to your employer, if you think it could be a problem.

A few years ago, I went to the gym 4 lunches a week - twice to use the shower after a run, twice to lift. No issues. Two other guys went to their gyms thrice a week to swim or run.
Last office, I had a corporate gym on the first floor of the building. I spent three lunches a week dodging pedestrians running through downtown Boston. Half the admin staff went to other gyms for classes.

I did until very recently - being able to fit in training during the working week was a huge factor in favour of increasing my training volume.
Had a very cooperative boss who agreed to swap 5 one hour breaks a week for 3 longer ones.

Training invigorates me mentally which more than makes up for any physical fatigue.

I have in the past but one of our providers decided he wants to leave early so we all just work through lunch now

When I did, I wore the same clothes. I would change in to my gym clothes, work out/take quick shower, put back on original work clothes (maybe a new pair a panties, lol). I always feel awesome the rest of the day!

NorthCascades wrote: »

Has it even been an issue to come back to work in different clothes then you wore in the morning? And how is the rest of the work day after lifting?

I go when I don't have lunch meetings, why do you need to change your clothes? take a shower and get dressed, then go back to work.

I generally lift at lunchtimes too.
Walk to gym, change in to gym clothes, lift, quick shower, back in to work clothes, walk back to the office.

My hair and makeup might not be as good afterwards as they were in the morning as I always end up rushing back to my desk, but I can fix that easily enough if I have a meeting or something.

NorthCascades wrote: »

I sweat a lot when I lift, and I bet it's going to be warm in the gym. Planning to find out in a few hours.

Me too, my wife thinks I shower with my clothes on. I guess my assumption is that you change INTO gym clothes, then after a shower put your work clothes back on. Most people facebook the entire lunch break, so no one will even notice - take advantage of it.

I was trying to do that far awhile on Tuesdays and Fridays, but my gym is a good 15 minutes from my office and I was having a hard time getting there and getting a workout done and cleaned up and back to work on time.

Instead, I have worked out a schedule with my boss that I can work through my lunch hour and take my exercise contract time at 3:30...so I get to the gym around 3:45 and I'm done by 4:45 or 5:00 and then go pick up the kids from school.

I actually do a little bit of cardio and lifting during my lunch break. Thankfully, my gym is in my office area (the perks of working for the local government), so I can just head down there after I change. As for after I'm done working out, I wash up a little and spray myself with some perfume. My coworkers all know that I workout during lunch and no one has complained about me smelling afterwards. Working out during my lunch definitely gives me a boost for the rest of the day, too.

I just joined the gym 2 minutes from my office for this purpose only. I love it. Swap clothes, quick shower and back to the office in 55 minutes. Will do wonders for my continuity....

NorthCascades wrote: »

Years ago, I had a boss who felt like fitness was important and should be a priority for everyone. He loved it. He told me if I go to the gym at lunch, I could come back as late as I pleased. To bad I didn't take advantage back then.

Current job will pay half the membership dues.

I'm upper level management and 3 or 4 years ago I talked to my boss about allowing people to sign a contract for 30 minutes of exercise 5x per week...we ended up going with 4x per week. Anyone is allowed to sign the contract, but as most of our people work with the public, it usually has to happen around the lunch hour. I don't really have any contact with the public so on Tues/Fri I work through lunch and head out around 3:30 unless there's something that has to happen at work.

Yes, I sometimes bike over to the 24 hour fitness and do some lifting at lunch. I keep it simple, like squats overhead press so I can be back within an hour and not get super red and sweaty. I have to change into workout clothes since I wear a dress at work. I either rinse fast or just do some strategic baby wipes, since I'll be biking home after work and showering then.

NorthCascades wrote: »

I'm a software developer on the west coast. I only have to interact with customers via email and it usually goes through the support team anyway. Occasionally we have people like the board or other companies we work with in our office, but we get a day's warning for that.

Is there a point to workout clothes vs just bringing a fresh shirt? Half the team works in tee shirts, I'm part of that half.

Other than I don't like to workout in cotton, probably not...

NorthCascades wrote: »

I found a gym near work, I can walk there in five minutes, and they have a parking lot for rainy days.

Any office workers go to the gym at lunch? Has it even been an issue to come back to work in different clothes then you wore in the morning? And how is the rest of the work day after lifting?

All the time! Nobody really notices that I've changed clothes, and honestly I don't think I'd know if any of my coworkers came back dressed differently. The rest of my day is always golden after I've lifted, as long as I don't have to do anything physically strenuous. That's actually the main reason I prefer to go as early as possible.