When the workday feels like a drag and hitting the gym after work feels like Mission Impossible, consider breaking up your day for a mid-day fitness circuit. A quick, high-intensity lunch time workout can give your metabolism a boost and help you log in that much needed gym time. If you have just 20 to 30 minutes to spare on your lunch break, consider jumping into any of these mini-workouts to keep up with your fitness resolutions this season:
Chair Squats
You won't even need to leave the office for this simple routine; just pull a chair away from your desk and do a series of squats by standing up and hovering over the chair base for 15-20 reps. Use a pair of water bottles as weights for extra resistance.
Speed Walking
Put on a pair of walking or running shoes and head outside for a brisk 20-minute walk. Head on over to your favorite smoothie place, coffee shop or just go on a window-shopping hike across town to log in those miles; just make sure your pace is fast enough to increase your heart rate.
Yoga Poses
An empty employee lounge or conference room is the perfect place to de-stress and stretch with a few yoga poses. Find a quiet space where you can center yourself and enjoy a few minutes of bliss; a few focused, intense stretches will get the blood circulation going and help you re-energize in the middle of an otherwise stressful day.
Wall Push-Ups
Another in-office maneuver, this exercise will tone up those biceps, shoulder muscles and upper back. Stand facing a wall about 2 feet away from the base. Push your palms against the wall and lean into the movement to do a standing push-up. Repeat for 15-20 reps or until you feel a burn.
The best time to do undertake the mini-workout is right before you dig into the lunch pack; you'll get to rev up your metabolism before noshing on that meal and may even burn it off faster. A brief, high-intensity workout will help build up endurance and stamina and keep you charged up for the rest of the day; follow the energy spike with a light brown bagged lunch for even more health benefits.