Perfecting the Lunchtime Workout

Yikes, it got chilly out today. What happened to our early summery Spring?


I'm not a wish-it-were-warm-all-the-time kind of person, I like different seasons. And I like things about colder weather seasons, too, like -- holiday lights and other festive things, really big snow flakes, curling up on my couch for hours with the newspaper, baking cookies, cashmere, not having to shave my legs for long periods of time.


However, I do also love when the season finally turns --  for good -- and it's Spring. Warm Spring - not rainy cool 50 degree crap Spring. Not 42 degrees and windy Spring. But Spring that is more Summer-like. Like last Thursday. Not like today.

Get to know your gym's Lunchtime class schedules -
NYSC is definitely a low budget gym, but who cares - it has 
the most locations and best variety of classes; makes it easy 
to maintain the Lunchtime Workout

The longer days and sunny weather of Warm Spring are definitely therapeutic. People are happier. More social. It is good to shed the black tights, go bare legged, short sleeved and open toed and see the sun still shining when you leave the office at the end of the day.


Many people say that they find it harder to exercise in the cold, dark winter months than Spring/ Summer. And of course, I understand why that is.

But, for me, when the weather gets better - I find it hard to do my workouts after work. I want to do fun things instead - and I often want to do fun things right after work instead of after a run or trip to the gym. Something about walking out of the office to a sunny warm evening, seeing people out and about, restaurants with terraces and doors and windows open. It makes me want to join the fun. STAT.

As much as I love to have fun, I also keep a pretty disciplined 6-7 day a week exercise routine. I do a mix of running and  gym classes - typically strength training - total body conditioning/ pilates type classes and maybe one day of yoga. I switch it up in terms of number of days of running vs. classes - with gym classes at least 2 times a week. And if I'm doing 7 days a week, I make sure to take it easy on the 7th day - Vinyasa yoga, for example.

 I am pretty disciplined about making the schedule work - it makes me feel better, I am a happier person when I do some exercise nearly every day. It keeps me more or less toned and fit. And, it allows me to more or less eat what I want to eat without feeling too guilty about it.

I have done this 6-7 days a week schedule long enough now that it feels wrong to skip more than one day a week. Although there are times that I'll do 5 times a week - it is pretty rare. (Vacations are the exception -- I just fit in a run here and there when / if i can while on vacation).

As much as I like being sure I exercise 6-7 days a week,  I never want to be that kind of person who lets exercise get in the way of living life. Yes, it takes discipline and having to compromise things sometimes to work out 6 days a week. But, I will not let it overtake my life. Life is too short. This is partly why I have no desire to run a marathon -- having running take over my life for even a short period of time is really not worth it to me, or has not yet ever seemed worth it to me at this point in my life. 

And it is important to point out that while I do exercise at least 6 days a week -- I don't do so for long periods of time. Aside from  Long Run Saturdays, my weekly runs are 3 1/2 - 5 miles, and the classes I go to are all an hour or less.

My friends often ask me how I manage to fit in a work out every day. A lot of it hinges on being prepared and flexible -- always having my gym bag with the right shoes / clothes so that I can go for a run or go to a class depending on timing and how I feel.

However- the change that I incorporated over a year ago, which has had the largest impact on my work out schedule is -- the Lunchtime Workout.

I'm telling you - it will change your life if you, like me, have a hard time fitting in work outs before work (hitting snooze is just too easy) and have a hard time wanting to go to the gym (or for a run) every day after work.

Now, it isn't rocket science, but if you have a full time job that is high paced or demanding and requires you to be more or less in the office working for 8 or more hours a day, it can seem like an unrealistic luxury to fit in the gym mid-day, when you're supposed to be at your desk hard at work. 

And, importantly, for us ladies, there is the the whole showering and hair thing. Showering, drying hair and getting ready not only takes up time, but it is draining to do more than once a day. Especially to just go back to the office, instead of out or on a fun date.

But trust me - it can be done, and it will change your whole outlook. I do the Lunchtime Workout at least twice and sometimes up to 4 times a week.

Again - it's not rocket science - but I have perfected it (at least for me!), if I do say so myself. And because so many of my girlfriends always question how it can possibly be done - here are some pointers.

1. Be disciplined but don't let it interfere with your performance at work.

Let me start by saying - I am a lawyer. And I really like my job. There aren't many of us from what I can tell, but happy lawyers in Manhattan do exist, I'm living proof!

I have a really great job now and have been working as a lawyer long enough that I do have some flexibility in my schedule. I do have a boss and many clients. But I work fairly independently. And, I take my job very seriously. I feel very lucky to be a happy lawyer and have a job that I like in this economy, that allows me some balance and pays enough to live comfortably in Manhattan. So my goal in incorporating the Lunchtime Workout was never a form of hookie or a way to avoid doing my job well.

I have always approached the Lunchtime Workout as something that I'll do if I can -- but that may mean that I'll need to stay later to finish the work I didn't get to while on the Lunchtime Workout. And, if there is really something big or urgent going on and my boss or clients really need something that cannot wait an hour and half, then I will forego the Lunchtime Workout.


I will not sacrifice a good performance at work for exercise - nor do I advise anyone to. But, it's all about finding a balance, which I think is easier to do than you may at first think!

2. Be disciplined and make best efforts to fit it in your schedule

Notwithstanding the above (and no, this is not meant to be inconsistent with the above) if you have a busy demanding job, you do have to be firm and disciplined about fitting the Lunchtime Workout in your schedule. Otherwise it will never happen. 

If you have a job, like me, there will always be work that should be done instead of leaving the office for 1.5 hours. And, colleagues or clients will want to schedule meetings or conference calls when you're hoping to be on your Lunchtime Workout. 

I manage this by thinking about what is important / time sensitive and what can wait a couple hours. On days when I plan to do a Lunchtime Workout - I block 2 hours in my schedule around the time I plan to be on my Lunchtime Workout. If people try to schedule a non-urgent meeting or call during that time- I say I'm not available and offer another time.  

Again - if it is urgent or time sensitive,  and I really feel it can't wait a couple hours, then I have to forego the Lunctime Workout. But I have found that such urgencies are fewer and farther between than I imagined they were before I adopted the Lunchtime Workout. Lots of stuff seems urgent - but when you stop to think about it - it really can wait. 

And best of all - after a quick Lunchtime Workout - your head is cleared, you've had a little break, and you will likely be a lot more efficient and focused when you get back to the office.

3. Keep it on the DL

Again - you need to be flexible, and be sure it doesn't interfere with your performance at work.  And, I do believe it makes me more efficient and focused afterwards. So really - what's wrong with telling your office about the Lunchtime Workout? Why not just tell people what you're doing? So long as you still get all your work done on time, seems no reason to hide it. 

Maybe that's all good and true, but my advice is to keep the Lunchtime Workout on the down low at work. Nobody needs to know that you are going to the gym a few days a week in the middle of the work day. Your work place or your boss might be OK with it - but I still don't advise advertising it. 

There will be days when you are really busy, but you opt to do the Lunchtime Workout in return for staying later a the end of the day to catch up -- but not everybody in your office will know that you are in fact staying later at the end of the day. They may think you are just taking a big mid-day break and not making up the time or not getting your work done. They may judge. They may think you're slacking off. It's not worth it to tell them. Keep it on the DL.

Or, there will be times when someone will prefer to schedule a meeting or call during the time you blocked rather than the alternate time that you offered. It is always best to just say, "I'm not available." Or "I have an appointment." And when you leave - don't tell your Admin or your boss or your receptionist, or anyone where you're going - just leave.

They will assume you're stepping out for lunch and/or a meeting or appointment.

I try to do low-sweat classes during Lunchtime Workout - like
total body conditioning, pilates or yoga.

4. Take the blackberry to the gym, but not into the gym class

The work blackberry/ e-mail device. It makes us more accessible in both a good way and a bad, can-never-escape way. 

If you are anxious about being away from the office for too long in the middle of the day, take it with you to the gym. You can check it on your walk to the gym and while changing. But please, leave it in the locker room. 

Don't be that person checking your blackberry/ phone in the middle of a class. If you can't go an hour without checking in on email then you shouldn't be away from the office at all and it isn't the right day for Lunchtime Workout. 

This took me a while to get used to as my blackberry is basically appended to me. It is the first thing I check when I wake up in the morning and the last before I go to bed. I'm crazy like that. But, I figured out that my boss and clients can actually survive without me for that hour. And my blackberry is always waiting for me in the locker room and the first thing I check when I'm back there after class changing into my work clothes. 

I have left it in the office on various Lunchtime Workouts - but having it with me to and from the gym puts me at ease that my true out of pocket time is minimized as much as possible and I have a sense of what is waiting for me when I get back to the office.

5. The shower / hair thing

I like to at least try to look pulled together at work. I'm not one of those natural types with perfect hair who can just hop out of the shower and go straight to work sans hair dry and at least a little make-up. And, in order to really sustain a regular Lunchtime Workout, you need to minimize the time you're out of the office. Particularly so when you know you may have to stay later at the office to catch up on whatever work you're not doing during the Lunchtime Workout. Out of the office midday for more than 2 hours - and the return on investment might not be worth it.

My favorite disposable body wipes
 - 'cucumber facial towelettes' actually -  but they work
well for wiping off gym class sweat!

Showering and blow drying hair and then dabbing on some quick make up- even if 'quick' takes TIME. And it also makes the Lunchtime Workout feel like a big commitment.

So... this is what I do. I try my best to do classes that do not produce a lot of sweat for my Lunchtime Workouts. This means strength training / total body conditioning type classes. Depending on the class some of these are more aerobic than others - I try to stick to those that are less aerobic for Lunchtime Workout. 

That said - I don't want it to be a wussy class - I need to feel like I'm getting something out of it - so it has to be enough weights and squats and sit ups to feel like I'm toning and building muscle - and not too much aerobic to make me sweat.

If it's a good class, even if not very aerobic, then I will still sweat a little. However, in these types of classes, I don't sweat like I do when I run (where I'm drenched and HAVE to take a shower afterwards before facing any person) 

So I don't actually feel the need for a shower after these classes. I know that may sound gross! but... you get used to it. What I DO do instead of a shower is use disposable body wipes. I wipe down quickly, put on some deodorant (maybe even some perfume --French shower!), run a brush through my hair, freshen my make-up and head out the door.

Every once in a while I'll fit in a run during a Lunchtime Workout - and will shower without washing hair and just blow dry the sweat out of my hair. It's lovely. I try not to do that on a day I'm going on a date after work.

But I prefer to keep my Lunchtime Workouts quick and low maintenance -- so I save my running for my after work workout days and try to stick to strength training / total body conditioning for the Lunchtime Workout.

6. Lunch -- pick up on your way back to the office

If you can pick up something and eat it quickly before returning to the office - that is the best solution - so that people will think you really were just at lunch while you were out of the office. However, there are days when I'm so busy I need to rush back to the office right afterwards, so I pick up lunch on the way back from the gym and eat at my desk.

7. Enjoy your evenings!!!!

There is nothing better than looking at the time at the end of a day and realizing you've already been to the gym and you have your evening free to do what you want. 

Of course all you morning people out there really have it down pat - but I am definitely not a morning person. There are times when I miraculously wake up early enough to fit in a morning work out (or when I'm still jetlagged after a trip abroad) but that is pretty uncommon. I wish that I could do it regularly. I'm just not good in the morning. PLUS for whatever reason, annoyingly, the classes I like to take at the gym are not offered early enough in the morning.

So for now - it's the Lunchtime Workout for me. It's even a great feeling to have the Lunchtime Workout done on a cold Monday evening, when you don't feel like doing anything after work except lie around on your couch, eat Dark Chocolate Dreams & pretzels and watch the Mad Men season premiere for the second time.


But even better to have it perfected for those summery Warm Spring and Summer evenings right around the corner.....!