# How do you exercise during your lunch hour at work w/o a gym **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 29, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993 "2012-08-29T01:35:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/21 "2012-08-29T22:24:40Z")
The serious athlete I work with recently gave up gym membership in favor of [You Are Your Own Gym](http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Your-Own-Gym/dp/0971407614#reader_0971407614). I have just received a copy in the mail and it looks very thorough. Haven’t started though. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/22 "2012-08-29T22:26:11Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > You might as well have started a thread asking: “How can I exercise while eating cheesey puffs, sitting on my couch and watching TV.” **Digital is the new Analog** explained how I can do that with the chair bikes. ---
**Author:** ![mo50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@mo50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mo50)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/23 "2012-08-29T22:43:26Z")
I try to walk for 30-40 minutes at lunch while doing modified bicep/tricep curls, shoulder raises, & tricep extensions with my shoulder bag/soft briefcase, which might have a coupla books, a bottle of water, & other accumulated crap in it, so it might weigh like 10 pounds or so, I guess. (I do probably look funny :smack:). I try to find some good hills to go up and down, and luckily I work near a few, so it feels like a decent workout if I push my walking pace as much as I can. Sometimes I’ll close my office door and do calisthenics, as others have mentioned. Like you, I prefer to try and fit it into the course of my day if I can, makes it alot more likely I’ll do it. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/24 "2012-08-30T02:36:48Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Stairs are a good idea, however I work on a one story office building. > > The park nearby does have a basketball court, I can get a ball and do that for my lunch hour. Does it have an open grassy area? One possibility, that will keep it interesting (if you feel like putting this much effort in to it) is to grab a set of index cards, think / google about 25 or 35 different exercises, and write them on the cards. You can include how many reps or not, whichever you choose. Then, depending on how much time / energy you have on each day, tell yourself ‘I am going to draw and do 10 cards’ or however many. You could put on the cards, for instance: 10 burpies 10 pushups 15 lunges per leg 15 crossover lunges 100 jumping jacks 30 second plank 20 crunches 10 tricep pushups 30 toe raises Etc… Some days you might get more cardio or more muscle, but it allows for variety and gets you moving. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/25 "2012-08-30T02:37:06Z")
I fourth burpees. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/26 "2012-08-30T02:38:05Z")
Burpies are great if you do them right. You can get injured really easy if you’re doing them wrong, so be careful. Slow at first to get the movement right. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/27 "2012-08-30T03:10:30Z")
50 Squats 50 Pushups 50 V-sits (must touch your feet, try to perform with knees straight - can bend knees if you have to) 50 Lunges (Alternating legs, 25 per side) 50 Tricep Dips 50 Sitting Rotations (balance on your bum with your feet in the air, clasp your hands together and touch the floor on each side of you without separating your hands) 50 Jump Squats 50 Plank Up and Downs (start on your forearms, and push up onto your hands as if in the pushup position and then back down again = 1) 50 Reverse Bridges (lie on your back and squeeze your bum and lift up and down) 50 Burpees (chest MUST touch the ground at the bottom, feet MUST come off the ground at the top) MUST do them in this order and MUST do 50, take whatever time you need ---
**Author:** ![Stendhal\_Syndrome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@Stendhal\_Syndrome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stendhal_Syndrome)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/28 "2012-08-30T03:25:15Z")
I worked at a residential psych facility before my current job and we had a big TV room in the back that was unused during lunch hour. Two of my coworkers and myself would switch into workout gear 5 mins before lunch, pop in one of those cardio DVD’s and workout for 45 mins or so. Having workout buddies made it fun. Sometimes we also went for a brisk 45 min walk around the neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/29 "2012-08-30T03:53:40Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > You might as well have started a thread asking: “How can I exercise while eating cheesey puffs, sitting on my couch and watching TV.” > [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > **Digital is the new Analog** explained how I can do that with the chair bikes. To be fair..you can also eat pop tarts or ice cream with my plan. Seriously though..the best workout plan is one you’ll stick with. **Wesley Clark** has an idea of what he could do consistently, and is looking for things he can do in that framework. It seems like a reasonable question. -D/a ---
**Author:** ![Animastryfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Animastryfe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Animastryfe)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/30 "2012-08-30T04:00:53Z")
There are plastic, hollow dumbbells that are supposed to be filled up with water in order to function properly. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/31 "2012-08-30T07:02:31Z")
If you outgrow Nerd Fitness and don’t feel like doing your own mix ‘n’ match, here are some [CrossFit-derived bodyweight workouts]([http://board.crossfit.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2743&d=](http://board.crossfit.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2743&d=), [Redirect Notice](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=crossfit%20bodyweight%20workouts&source=web&cd=1&ved=0C)) (PDF). I’ve used this list for inspiration when traveling or when a gym isn’t available. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/32 "2012-08-30T12:52:29Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > 50 Squats > 50 Pushups > 50 V-sits (must touch your feet, try to perform with knees straight - > can bend knees if you have to) > 50 Lunges (Alternating legs, 25 per side) > 50 Tricep Dips > 50 Sitting Rotations (balance on your bum with your feet in the air, > clasp your hands together and touch the floor on each side of you > without separating your hands) > 50 Jump Squats > 50 Plank Up and Downs (start on your forearms, and push up onto your > hands as if in the pushup position and then back down again = 1) > 50 Reverse Bridges (lie on your back and squeeze your bum and lift up > and down) > 50 Burpees (chest MUST touch the ground at the bottom, feet MUST come > off the ground at the top) > > MUST do them in this order and MUST do 50, take whatever time you need You’re joking, right? Right? OP is looking to _start_ a program. Nobody who isn’t already pretty well-conditioned could get close to those number. Hell I did a workout very similar to that for 6 months, and I’m positive I couldn’t have completed yours. Now this is more realistic: > [@EmAnJ](#): > > 10 burpies > 10 pushups > 15 lunges per leg > 15 crossover lunges > 100 jumping jacks > 30 second plank > 20 crunches > 10 tricep pushups > 30 toe raises > > Etc… > > Some days you might get more cardio or more muscle, but it allows for variety and gets you moving. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/33 "2012-08-30T13:04:57Z")
**Wesley** , if you’re still reading this; I don’t know what the hell my problem was the other day, but I was being a douche and I apologize for my snarky comments earlier in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/34 "2012-08-30T19:30:41Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > You’re joking, right? Right? OP is looking to _start_ a program. Nobody who isn’t already pretty well-conditioned could get close to those number. Hell I did a workout very similar to that for 6 months, and I’m positive I couldn’t have completed yours. > > Now this is more realistic: Okay. Yes. It’s REALLY hard, so maybe don’t try for 50 the first time, but make it a goal…? But the movements themselves are good, so start with smaller number, say five of each… ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/35 "2012-08-30T23:12:06Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > **Wesley** , if you’re still reading this; I don’t know what the hell my problem was the other day, but I was being a douche and I apologize for my snarky comments earlier in this thread. You’re not a douche, I’ve heard much worse on this board anyway. The reason I listed what I couldn’t do in my OP was because I didn’t want the thread to be devoted to people giving me advice I’d already considered and discarded for one reason or another (working out after work, running, going home to exercise, using the company gym). So I listed all the things I’d considered and why I didn’t think they’d work so the thread would be devoted to stuff within the parameters I knew I could abide by based on my health, location and time constraints. I may just end up joining a gym, depending on how serious I get for my exercise routine. A $40/month bill isn’t a big deal to me, but there is something psychologically repugnant about how I was paying $22/month for my gym in college and $25/month for the YMCA after college, then finding prices almost doubled in my new town. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/36 "2012-08-30T23:40:15Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > You’re not a douche, I’ve heard much worse on this board anyway. The reason I listed what I couldn’t do in my OP was because I didn’t want the thread to be devoted to people giving me advice I’d already considered and discarded for one reason or another (working out after work, running, going home to exercise, using the company gym). So I listed all the things I’d considered and why I didn’t think they’d work so the thread would be devoted to stuff within the parameters I knew I could abide by based on my health, location and time constraints. > > I may just end up joining a gym, depending on how serious I get for my exercise routine. A $40/month bill isn’t a big deal to me, but there is something psychologically repugnant about how I was paying $22/month for my gym in college and $25/month for the YMCA after college, then finding prices almost doubled in my new town. Another option is to hire a trainer to create a program for you, based on what you can do… ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/37 "2012-08-31T00:50:52Z")
Do you have breaks? At my workplace, I get two 15-minute breaks, plus a 30-minute lunch break. I exercise during my 15-minute breaks and eat/relax during my lunch break. Spreading it out this way reduces fatigue and makes it seem less of a chore. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993/38 "2012-08-31T01:14:35Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Do you have breaks? > > At my workplace, I get two 15-minute breaks, plus a 30-minute lunch break. > > I exercise during my 15-minute breaks and eat/relax during my lunch break. Spreading it out this way reduces fatigue and makes it seem less of a chore. I get 75 minutes a day I can pretty much break up and use however I want (45, 15, 15; 60, 15; 75; etc). They have a lot of flex time where I work, if I end up spending 90 minutes on break I can just stay 15 minutes late. I wouldn’t want to work out throughout the day because I will get sweaty, I’d just do a 75 minute break, do my workout and shower. What kind of exercise do you normally do on the 15 minute breaks? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-exercise-during-your-lunch-hour-at-work-w-o-a-gym/632993.md?page=1)