Skip to content

Top Navigation

Shape Shape
  • Fitness
  • Healthy Eating
  • Beauty
  • Sex and Love
  • Celebrities
  • Mind & Body
  • Lifestyle
  • Video
  • Shop
  • Sweeps

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Your Profile
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Log Out
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Shape

Shape Shape
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Keto Meal Plan for Beginners

      Everything you need to know to get started with this high-fat, low-carb diet. Read More Next
    • 10 Things I Learned During My Body Transformation

      Twenty months and 17 pounds later, I came away with 10 big lessons. Read More Next
    • The 30-Day Squat Challenge

      The ultimate 30-day squat challenge, featuring 12 squats that tighten and tone. Read More Next
  • Fitness

    Fitness

    See All Fitness
    • Workouts
    • Cardio
    • Strength Training
    • Bodyweight Training
    • Yoga
    • Exercise Recovery
    • Exercise Tips
    • Race Training
    • Workout Trends
    • Playlists
    • Workout Clothes
    • Workout Gear
  • Healthy Eating

    Healthy Eating

    See All Healthy Eating
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Diets
    • Food & Nutrition
    • Healthy Cooking
    • Healthy Drinks
    • Weight Loss
  • Beauty
  • Sex and Love
  • Celebrities

    Celebrities

    See All Celebrities
    • Interviews
    • Celebrity News
    • Celebrity Workouts
  • Mind & Body

    Mind & Body

    See All Mind & Body
    • Coronavirus
    • Transformations
  • Lifestyle

    Lifestyle

    See All Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Healthy IRL
  • Video

    Video

    See All Video
    • Workout Videos
    • Cooking Videos
    • Weight Loss Videos
    • Celebrity Videos
  • Shop
  • Sweeps

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Your Profile
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Log Out
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Shape.com Chevron Right
  2. Fitness Chevron Right
  3. Exercise Tips Chevron Right
  4. How to Master the Lunch-Time Workout

How to Master the Lunch-Time Workout

By Sara Angle
February 09, 2017
Skip gallery slides
Save FB Tweet
Not only is the new power hour doable, but the latest science shows it may be optimal for your body
Start Slideshow

1 of 10

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Master the Midday Workout

Credit: Shutterstock

If you're sitting at your desk thinking, Should I or shouldn't I? Consider this: Research shows that lunch hour might be the best time of day to exercise. Your strength peaks midday, making it the ideal window to get in a strength-, speed-, or power-based sweat, says study author David W. Hill, Ph.D., at the University of North Texas. The boost may be because your body temperature is higher in the afternoon (a function of your natural circadian rhythms), which in turn means muscles are warmer and chemical reactions might be working faster.

Even better, your body peaks while your health club empties: According to Gold's Gym data, the lowest gym usage during the week is from 1 to 2 p.m., so you won't have to fight over equipment or locker-room space. (Going for a run outside? Here's what science says about the best time to run.) On top of that, a good sweat can make you more productive when you return to the office. Here's your game plan.

1 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 10

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Eliminate a Bra Change

Credit: Modell's

Layer Under Armour Mid Breathe sports bra ($25, modells.com) beneath your tank in the morning, so you switch bras only once. The style is easy to pull over your head, even when you're extra sweaty. (Just remember to pack your regular bra—and the right one for your breast type—for later.)

2 of 10

3 of 10

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Eat Two Lunches

Credit: Shutterstock

Cut your usual lunch in half, and about an hour before go time (anything later and you may risk stomach issues), eat the more carb-laden portion, such as a pita and hummus or a handful of grapes, so you have some easily digestible fuel, says Adam Collins, Ph.D., the program director of nutrition at the University of Surrey in England. After your workout, eat the other, more protein-packed half to help replenish and rebuild muscles. Choose something such as a green salad with chicken—or celery with peanut butter. (These delicious vegan lunches prove you don't need meat to pack protein.)

This is when you want to hold off on carb-heavy foods: Women who consumed 35 grams of carbohydrates that were high on the glycemic index— about the amount in two slices of white bread—within 90 minutes of exercising burned less fat than women who didn't, according to Collins's research. Women actually burn more fat during exercise than men, which means they conserve more carbohydrates during exercise, he says. So if you overload your body with carbs after a workout, it blunts your fat-burning potential. And we're guessing you don't want to do that. (Another way to burn more fat? Pick up the heavy weights.)

3 of 10

Advertisement

4 of 10

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Suit Up

Credit: Amazon

Pick an easy-in, easy-out look: the fabric in the LNA Alissar Muscle Tank ($36, Amazon) won't wrinkle if you fold it up in a gym bag or toss it in a locker while you work out. Plus, it doesn't cling to still-warm skin after exercise, making your cooldown walk back to the office stress (and sweat) free. (More muscle tanks for women, right here.)

4 of 10

5 of 10

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

HIIT, Then Split

Credit: Shutterstock

A time crunch is no obstacle—20 to 30 minutes is plenty to get huge benefits when you have the right mix and intensity. "You can get a greater calorie burn during and after your workout as well as target your muscles more deeply when you work harder," says Charlotte Jelleyman, an exercise physiologist at the University of Leicester in England.

Go in with a detailed plan (try our BodyShop HIIT Workout for example) so you don't waste any time. And keep it simple. "You don't have to come up with an entirely different routine each session," says Ariel Iasevoli, a trainer at Crunch gym in New York City. Instead, do the same exercises each week, so you get comfortable with them, progressing the weight, reps, and sets over three to six weeks; then switch it up entirely. As for intensity, "your breath should be heavy, it should be too tough to talk, and for the best results, you should be totally wiped after your last strength set or interval," Jelleyman says.

5 of 10

6 of 10

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Use a Type-A Tote

Credit: Sweaty Betty

Sweaty Betty All Sport Tote ($110, sweatybetty.com) has room to stash sneakers and gym clothes. Internal pockets help keep products, tech, and gear organized, eliminating the time you spend digging around your bag. (Want to look more polished? Try these real bags that double as gym bags.)

6 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 10

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Use Moves That Multitask

Credit: Shutterstock

Compound exercises such as squats, push-ups, and burpees work multiple muscle groups at once, so you'll be able to lift or support a lot of weight per rep, which puts more muscle fibers to work, Iasevoli says. To craft an efficient DIY routine, Lasevoli recommends doing five rounds of 5 to 10 reps of an upper-body exercise, 5 to 8 reps of a lower-body exercise, and 10 to 20 reps of a core exercise—with no rest between exercises. (Here are more compound exercises that crush calories.) Finish with as many burpees as you can bang out. This lets you give it your all without completely fatiguing out your muscles, since they get built-in breaks on certain moves. "You'll increase your stamina, become more efficient, and boost your calorie burn during and after your workout," Iasevoli says.

7 of 10

8 of 10

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Get Dressed Faster

Credit: Lush

Apply Lush Silky Underwear dusting powder ($10, lushusa.com) to your legs to slip into pants without a fight. It disappears into skin as it soaks up extra sweat. (And these editor-approved dry shampoos work magic on super sweaty hair.)

8 of 10

9 of 10

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Fake a Shower

Credit: Body Wipe Company

Wipe down with a take-and-toss option: Paper Shower ($9 for 12, bodywipecompany.com) includes an unscented wet towelette to clean off sweat and a dry pad to wick away excess moisture.

9 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 10

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Forget Work

Credit: Shutterstock

It's not easy, but leaving your to-do list behind will help keep your workout focused and productive, says Jack J. Lesyk, Ph.D., the director of the Ohio Center for Sport Psychology. Essentially, it's like practicing mindfulness for your exercise. Just as you need to plan your routine, you need to plan where to direct your mental energy, whether that's something like your form or intensity or the weight you're lifting.

"You'll have an easier time focusing on the goals of your workout when there aren't other items demanding your attention," says Gregory Chertok, a certified sport psychology consultant for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Plus, exercise activates the brain's cortex, which means you'll go back to your desk reenergized, refreshed, and refocused for the rest of your workday—you might not even need that 3 p.m. coffee break anymore.

10 of 10

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Sara Angle

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 10 Master the Midday Workout
2 of 10 Eliminate a Bra Change
3 of 10 Eat Two Lunches
4 of 10 Suit Up
5 of 10 HIIT, Then Split
6 of 10 Use a Type-A Tote
7 of 10 Use Moves That Multitask
8 of 10 Get Dressed Faster
9 of 10 Fake a Shower
10 of 10 Forget Work

Share options

Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Login

Shop | Shape

  • Gym Bags
  • Juicers
  • Exercise Mats
  • Foam Rollers
  • Shaker Bottles
  • Workout Videos
  • Activewear
  • Workout Tops
  • Training Shoes
  • Exercise Bikes
  • Shop More Next

Shape may receive compensation when you click through and purchase from links contained on this website.

Shape

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
  • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Affiliate Program this link opens in a new tab

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Shape is part of the Instyle Beauty Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.shape.com

View image

How to Master the Lunch-Time Workout
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.