How To Fit Exercise Into Your Lunchbreak

We all live in busy times and, unless you dedicate your life to it, there’s almost no escaping it. This means that a lot of the time some of the things that should be a priority in our lives get pushed to the side. Exercise is not just a great way of losing weight, it also helps us become stronger, helps us to resist injuries, boosts our immune systems and releases endorphins, making us feel happier and more contented. If exercise can do all of these things, then why do so few of us partake in it regularly? The answer is simple: we are starved of time. The one thing that most of us do have, though, is a lunch break. We’re not suggesting sweating it out in the gym for a full hour is a good idea, but making time for some of these gentle exercises should be one of your new priorities.

Yoga

Yoga is a popular choice for lunch breaks because you can do it with a surprisingly small space. If you can lay your mat down then you’re good to go. This short yoga practice was designed for poker players, but works equally well for anyone who spends a good chunk of their day sitting down. If you have an office job then you definitely fit into that category. At only five minutes, even the busiest of us can afford to give it a try. Those who would like to see faster results from their yoga practice should definitely invest more than five minutes’ time.

There are thousands of guided yoga practices available on YouTube that are specifically tailored to people of different abilities. Whether you’re a beginner who wants to strengthen their lower back, or an expert yogi who wants to perfect their bakasana, you’ll be able to find a professional to teach you for free online.

Mindful Walking

If getting your yoga mat out doesn’t appeal to you but you’d still like to reap some of the calming benefits, then there are other options available to you. Mindful walking is one of them. Although just getting out of the office and going for a walk does wonders for our mental health, taking a mindfulness walk is one better still. Mindfulness is another self-care tip that we should all be making time for, so fitting exercise and mindfulness into one half an hour package is a great time saver. If you’re lucky enough to work near a green space then head there on your walk; as you walk take note of each of your senses in turn. Can you feel the wind against your skin, can you feel the warmth of the sun? Can you smell someone cutting the grass, or the smoke from a log burner? Take each sense in turn and by the time you get to your final sense, you’ll have noticed your heart rate slow.

This technique can be particularly useful for those of us who struggle to switch off and perhaps suffer insomnia or even mild anxiety. Learning to focus on the moment and be present is a grounding technique that you can apply in all situations, not just on your walks.

Tai-Chi

Though not as en vogue as yoga and mindfulness, tai-chi is one of the forefathers of both. This sport is a Japanese martial art that some people call shadow boxing. Although it can be practiced in a fast way that will definitely make you sweat and possibly not delight your coworkers, it can also be practiced in a slow and controlled manner. Tai Chi requires you to concentrate and move with your breathing, achieving similar relaxation to a yoga session.

It requires you to learn to balance and control your body through difficult positions, which can be hard at first but will feel like such an achievement when you perform the movements perfectly. It is also possible to find instructional videos on YouTube, but treating yourself to a class to get you going is a special experience.