Your daily lunch break is the perfect window for boosting your fitness, strength, flexibility and diet.
Whether you work from home or are bound to the office, there’s plenty of fitness you can pack into your lunch break.
In this article, we speak to trainers, coaches, nutritionalists and physios to show you how to transform your lunch from lazy to punchy.
Outside training
While time is tight, getting outside on your lunch break will not only help your training, but take your mind away from work.
45-minute power efforts
Even if you only have 45 minutes for an outdoor ride, you can still make top-end cardio gains.
“The aim of this session is to work into high anaerobic or VO2 max power zones [the maximum rate at which your body can utilise oxygen], which will help you on steep climbs and in breaks and sprints,” explains coach Phil Paterson.
After a 10-minute warm-up, do 4x 1-minute hard efforts at 115-125% FTP with a 2-min recovery after each effort. Then take an extra 6-min recovery in zone 1 (below 55% FTP) and do another 12-min block of efforts, followed by a 5-min easy warm-down.
“For consistency, complete the efforts with minimal fluctuation,” says Paterson.
You’ll enjoy a serious spike in power and fitness in less time than it takes to do your weekly food shop.
1-hour threshold session
The humble lunch hour is the perfect time for a targeted ‘threshold’ session. That’s because a threshold effort involves riding at the maximum power you can sustain for 60 minutes – the typical length of a UK lunch break.
“Lactate ‘threshold’ is the percentage of VO2 max that you can sustain for this given period without fatiguing,” explains coach Connor Murphy.
Start at a power you know you can maintain and nudge it up as the weeks go by.
“The higher your threshold grows, the more power you’ll be able to produce – whether that’s on a long climb, in a time trial or just dropping a fellow commuter on the way to work.”
2-hour low-cadence efforts.
Make the most of a longer lunch so you don’t have to overload on training at weekends.
“The advantage is that you can fit quality training in during the daylight hours,” says Murphy.
“A really good session is 3x 20-min zone 3 [76-90% FTP] low-cadence efforts.”
Low-cadence efforts (a big gear at 70rpm) will boost your stamina, strength, endurance and climbing performance.
After a 20-min warm-up, perform 3x 20-min low-cadence efforts in zone 3, with a 10-min recovery between efforts, then finish with a 10-min cool-down.
“This will bank lots of time in zone 3, so it is a super-efficient use of your lunch break,” says Murphy.
Try something new
Your lunchtime workout doesn’t have to involve two wheels and a saddle. Cross-training with other sports will unlock a host of bonus benefits.
"Cross-training is any form of exercise that differs from just increasing the mileage on the bike,” explains physio Hollie Maskell. “For cyclists, this could be running, swimming, walking or strength circuits. They are all beneficial for fitness and for building strength in the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, but they will also help you avoid injuries.”
A lunchtime run will enhance your bone health to prevent osteoporosis; a swim will improve your cardiovascular health without taxing your joints; and a hill walk will develop your core and leg strength while refreshing your mind, ready for an afternoon of work.
Don’t be afraid to try something new. “Doing bodyweight circuits can be as simple as putting on a Joe Wicks YouTube workout,” says Maskell. “They will build strength in the legs, glutes and hamstrings, helping you to increase muscular endurance for optimal performance.”
Save time in the kitchen
Eating lunch too early can leave you low on energy for your workout, but devouring a heavy meal 10 minutes before you train is guaranteed to make you feel sick.
Nutritionist Will Girling recommends a two-pronged approach.
“Have a breakfast of oats with honey, or chopped banana on toast, about four hours before your session. These are low-GI carbs [which cause a slow rise/fall in blood sugar] to prepare for your lunchtime workout. Then, between 5 and 30 minutes before your workout, eat something low in fibre – which is easy to digest – but high GI to give you energy, like fruit, bread and jam or medjool dates.”
Don’t worry if you don’t feel like eating straight after your workout.
“A lot of people rush to eat something after a workout, but unless you’re planning to train again later that day, you needn’t panic. We only need protein every three to four hours, so there is no hurry. When you’re ready to eat, you can have a smoothie with frozen fruit, whey protein and oats, a pint of milk, or a high-protein yoghurt.”
For a more substantial post-ride lunch, plan ahead with some smart time-saving options.
“I am big on cooking extra for dinner and having leftovers for lunch,” says Girling. “You can blend leftover Sunday veg into a soup and take it into work in a flask. Or you can turn a 500g pack of turkey mince into five healthy 100g burger patties. Or you can cook a frittata for breakfast and save half of it for lunch.
"Tinned tuna, prawns or pan-fried sea bass with microwavable rice and frozen broccoli are also quick and healthy lunch-break options.”
Body-weight exercises
If you’re time-strapped and can’t get on your bike, you can enhance your leg strength by doing 3 sets of 8-12 reps of these easy bodyweight exercises at lunchtime.
This will also protect your muscles from injury and give you more power on the bike.
Double-leg Romanian deadlift
Stand feet shoulder-width apart, with knees slightly bent. Hinge forward at the hips, stick out your bottom, arms in front of your legs, keeping your back straight, until you feel a stretch behind your legs.
“This targets the gluteal muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps and lower back to build extra strength,” says Maskell.
Lunges
Take a big step forward with one leg. Bend both knees at the same time until your back knee is nearly touching the floor. Then return to standing.
“This isolates the quadriceps and gluteal muscles, which support the knee and hip joint,” says Maskell. “It will improve your balance, muscle power and coordination.”
Squats
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Stick your bottom out and keep your back straight. Gently bend your knees and squat to 90 degrees, and return to a standing position and repeat.
“This works your quadriceps and gluteal muscles, which are really important for strong knees,” explains Maskell.
- Read more: Follow this free strength-training plan twice a week to avoid injury and get stronger on the bike
Indoor training
If the weather is grim, or you don’t have long for lunch, training indoors will enable you to work at highly specific intensities.
Session 1: Aerobic blast
“Improvements in aerobic endurance and efficiency are the aim here, as you’ll be working at moderate intensities below lactate threshold,” explains Adam Daniel of Wattbike. “By maintaining this effort for a long time, but with minimal recovery, your body will improve its aerobic capabilities to enhance your power output at low to moderate levels of exertion.”
- Total session time: 56 mins
Warm-up:
10 mins ramp @ 85-95rpm
- 2 mins @ 50% of FTP
- 2 mins @ 60% of FTP
- 2 mins @ 70% of FTP
- 2 mins @ 80% of FTP
- 2 mins @ 50% of FTP
Main session:
2x1 8-min blocks @ 85-95rpm, with a 4-min rest between each set at 50-60% FTP.
- Block 1: 5 mins @ 75% FTP, followed by 1 min @ 80% FTP. Repeat for 3 sets
- Block 2: 5 mins @ 75% FTP, followed by 1 min @ 80% FTP. Repeat for 3 sets
- Cool-down: 5 mins @ 80-85rpm and 5 mins @ 50% FTP
Session 2: Ultimate technique booster
A lunchtime indoor workout is a good opportunity to refine your technique as well as your fitness.
“In this session, you will complete two drills – cadence builds and cadence holds – which will improve your overall muscle recruitment and firing patterns,” explains Daniel. “It will develop your muscle coordination at higher cadences, deliver a neuromuscular and cardiovascular response, and help to develop a smooth pedal stroke.”
- Total session time: 40 mins
Warm-up:
5 mins @ 90-95 rpm, 50% of FTP
Main session:
- Block 1: Perform a 30-sec cadence build. Using a small gear or low resistance, start your cadence @ 90rpm and steadily increase until at max cadence for the last 5 secs. Allow 2.5 mins rest between each effort @ 40% FTP. Repeat this sequence 4 times.
- Block 2: Perform a 1-min cadence hold, maintaining the highest cadence you can for the full minute without bouncing in the saddle. The key is to settle into your peak sustainable cadence. But the goal here is high cadence, not high power, so keep the gear small and the resistance low. Allow 2 mins rest between each effort @ 40% FTP. Repeat this sequence 6 times.
- Cool-down: 5 mins @ 80-85rpm and 5 mins @ 50% FTP.
Extra exercises
Pre-lunch core exercises will boost your performance the next time you ride.
Try these to see improvements in your strength, balance and performance.
Side planks with leg raises
Lie on your side using your forearm for support. Hold this for 30 secs, then raise your top leg and hold for another 30 secs. Aim for 3x.
“Lateral stability isimportant in cycling,” explains coach Phil Paterson. “When we’re trying to put all our force into rotating the cranks, any wasted movement from swaying knees, a rocking torso or a bobbing head costs energy. Side planks will help to prevent your hips and core from moving around. And the extra leg raise works the gluteus medius (outer pelvis muscle) with the opposing obliques (side muscles) to really increase this stabilising effect.”
Swiss ball jack knives
Adopt a press-up position with your legs on a Swiss ball. While maintaining your balance and a neutral spine [where the spine is under the least amount of stress], bend from your hips and your knees to tuck the ball underneath you. Aim for 3x 10-15 reps.
“Maintaining a neutral spine while balancing on the ball requires a strong core – and all those micro-adjustments replicate what we need to do to stay upright on our bikes when we deal with bumps or crosswinds,” says Paterson. “Strong shoulders and arms are also important when out of the saddle. And strengthening your hip flexors from a stretched position will really help if you have a seated job and spend many hours a day with your hips flexed, which can exacerbate strength imbalances.”
Dead bugs
Lie on your back with arms and legs outstretched in the air, knees at 90 degrees.
Engage your core, keep your right arm and left leg still and move your left arm and right leg to the floor, in opposite directions, keeping your back firm on the floor. Do 3x 10 reps on each side.
The ability to remain stable while working opposing body sides is a crucial skill for cyclists.
“Try to sprint on the turbo without holding the bars and see how much less force you produce,” says Paterson. “This drill helps you to maintain a stable spine and torso while your limbs move, in just the same functional way as when you’re walking or cycling.”
Meditate
Taking time out of your busy work day to relax by using a meditation app, going for a scenic walk or reading a book will refresh your mind, restore some perspective and reduce stress levels, ready for when you next get on your bike.
Remember that not every bike ride has to be about performance gains: a gentle lunchtime spin to the shops or a ride along country lanes will calm your mind, ready for when you return to your desk.
“Exercise in your lunch break can have significant mental benefits too,” insists coach Connor Murphy. “Spending an hour riding easy is going to be great for your mind and your body.”
