Here are seven reasons why using those 60 minutes to boost your fitness is one of the most positive things you can do…

1. There’s no need to get out of bed at the crack of dawn
You have to set your alarm for crazy o’clock as it is, in order to rise, shine and be at your desk on time. Trying to fit in a pre-work fitness session as well is sometimes just too overwhelming. Save your workout for lunchtime, and make the most of catching a few more zs in your cozy bed each morning.

2. It establishes a genuine work-life balance
A midday workout allows you to split a long workday into two halves, separated by an activity that makes you feel good. This “worthwhile time-out” engages your brain and body in a different way, giving you a chance to refresh and ‘re-start’ your workday with all the positive hormonal and psychological benefits that exercise brings.

3. It will reinvigorate you
It’s safe to say no-one has ever returned to their desk after a fitness session feeling more lethargic than when they left. Studies have shown that exercise can reduce feelings of fatigue, so if it’s been a busy morning, a lunchtime workout could be just the ticket to help get you through an afternoon of back-to-back meetings.

4. It could control your sugar cravings
Exercise has been shown to suppress appetite in the hours after activity, by regulating your blood sugar levels. So if you’re prone to grazing on sugary foods through the afternoon, a lunchtime workout could help curb the habit.

5. You can enlist your colleagues
The only thing better than exercising in your lunch break? Exercising in your lunch break with friends. Seriously, a run chat with colleagues is one of the best ways to let off steam, seeing as it ticks off two big happiness hits – exercise and social interaction. Or why not organize a game of five-a-side football or rounders in a nearby park – a great way to
interact with people from the office you wouldn’t normally hang out with.

6. It will lower your stress levels
According to statistics, 15.4 million working days were lost due to work-related stress, anxiety or depression in 2017/18. Fortunately exercise has been proven to reduce symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety. Even a brisk walk is enough to help, so step up, step out and take some positive action against stress.

7. You’ll free up your evenings
Dragging yourself to the gym can be mentally tough after a full day in the office when you’re feeling drained and are ready to call it a night. If, however, you’ve already done your exercise session in your lunch hour, it’s a conundrum you simply don’t have to deal with anymore. You can hang out with friends or curl up on the sofa, safe in the (ever so slightly smug) knowledge that you’ve already ticked exercise off your to-do list for the day.