Running during my lunch break

oliness
oliness Posts: 2 Member
edited December 23 in Motivation and Support
I've got a sedentary office job and want to keep fit. It's hard to get time in the mornings or evenings, so I'm thinking of taking up lunchtime running. I do got for a 1.5 mile walk most lunchtimes but a heart-rate raising run should be much more effective.

Does anyone else do this regularly? What's it like changing from office suits to running gear and back again? Do you find it helps you work better in the afternoon? Any experiences and tips would be great.

Thanks,
Oliver

Replies

  • auburngirl06
    auburngirl06 Posts: 153 Member
    I run during my lunch break 2-3 times a week BUT I work from home so it’s a little different. I would say you will be limited on time if you try and fit it in during lunch after you account for changing into clothes and then cleaning up and changing back. If you only get an hour for lunch you are looking at maybe 30 mins max for a run. Maybe just give it a try. I always work great the rest of the day after a good lunch run 😊
  • ElizabethKalmbach
    ElizabethKalmbach Posts: 1,415 Member
    I don't have enough time on lunch, but I commute by bus, so I just walk/run home at the end of the day and shower at home.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    I use my lunch break to lift at the gym across the street.
  • amn0619
    amn0619 Posts: 211 Member
    I used to run at lunch regularly. I'd do it days I didn't have any face-to-face afternoon meetings because I didn't want to spend much time getting work-ready again after. My office has a gym with a shower, not the best but it works. I'd run either on the treadmill or outdoors. Then I'd take a super quick shower, dry the sweat out of my hair/spray some dry shampoo, touch up a little makeup and head back to the office. I could change in to my gym clothes, get about a 30-40 min run in, and take about 10-15 min after the run to halfway put myself back together and head back to my desk in a normal lunch hour. I did find it a nice break to the day. Now I work half and half from home so I don't have to do it anymore (I go to the gym before work on days I come in to the office), but it worked just fine.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited November 2019
    I used to run on my lunch break. I used baby wipes to "shower" and just accepted I'd be a bit sweaty in the afternoon. I enjoyed it, and because I had a young child at the time, it was the only way I was going to get any exercise in.
  • runningjen74
    runningjen74 Posts: 312 Member
    I did it regularly, and on my list to get back in to. I was able to squeeze in the quickest of showers. Pros: got to see day light, good for my mental health - exercise where my heart rate is raised + additional day light, made the day a lot shorter, made me focus on getting work done in the morning/afternoon. Cons: Tight for eating - I work in open plan where I don't like to eat at my desk, miss out on the social aspect with colleages, bit of a rush to get a shower in, needed to be really prepared particularly in terms of having lunch with me.
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,123 Member
    I used to run on my lunch about once/week. I really enjoyed the break and loved that when I got home my workout was already done. Unfortunately as someone else said that meant I had to cram my eating in before I left, I don't really like being in a time crunch when I go out for a run in case I'm feeling really good and want to keep going - not to mention I was running on trails at a park, so until I really learned the path I was stressed I would take a wrong turn and be gone much longer than I intended. On running days I would take a late lunch so that when I came back I only had a couple hours until it was time to go home. I would bring a hand towel to kind of "wash up" before I put my work clothes back on.
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