Running tip number 8 is for runners who are just getting started. Coach Tadris Parker has personally tested this recommendation and a hundred other health tips commonly shared in the running and fitness world. Listen to the audio clip below to hear his take on this one piece of health advice: “Maximize your lunch break.” Learn all about this at Keep Calm and Run To The Best You!

“Noontime running provides a triple benefit: daylight, a break from the workday, and a chance to avoid eating a heavy lunch.” —Joe Henderson, runner/writer

Tip 8. Maximize Your Lunch Break (running)

How amazing would it be to gain 30 or 60 minutes of extra time for daily self care? Listen to this: You can protect time for exercise and relaxation during your work day with just a little bit of discipline. If you’re honest, you probably don’t use your lunch break to rest OR refuel your body. Maybe you’re working through lunch break at your desk, or eating food that makes you even more lethargic in the second half of your shift. Stop doing this to yourself and let’s start redeeming this lunch break! 

The quote by Joe Henderson points out three specific benefits when we use our lunch break to take a quick run or walk outside. Plan ahead and get ready to spend that small window of time giving yourself what you really need: physical rest, a mental reset, and food that refuels you without making you feel full and sluggish.

1. Daylight Run for Sunshine, Fresh Air, and Exercise

If you normally take a lunch break in the afternoon, that’s a perfect opportunity to naturally absorb the “sunshine vitamin” on a quick run. The sun is at its highest point in the sky between 12pm and 2pm - the best time to absorb Vitamin D through your skin. Vitamin D doesn’t penetrate sunscreen or clothing, so be intentional about how you’re layering up. Spend at least half of your break in direct sunlight, especially if you work inside of a building all day. Lighter skin tones can absorb Vitamin D directly in as little as 20 minutes, but it takes closer to 30+ minutes for people with darker skin due to the melanin’s protective shield.

If you live in the northeast, like we do here in New Jersey, you’re already at a disadvantage at this time of year. The days are shortest in the late fall/early winter and it’s not easy to get Vitamin D from other sources. As important as this vitamin is for immune support and neurological function, Vitamin D is only found in a handful of foods, like some types of fish and mushrooms. A whopping 77% of Americans are considered to be deficient in the sunshine vitamin. You can buy supplements and even topical lotions with Vitamin D but it’s even better to get it for free! Even on cold days, get out there and feel the sun on your face for a while, even if you’re all bundled up.

2. Break From the Workday

Sometimes the best thing we can do to inspire fresh ideas or renew our motivation is just to step away. We need to take a break and the harder and longer you work, the more drained you will become. Commit to taking a break from your work even if you’re tempted to keep going through lunch. Give yourself a change of atmosphere and let your mind drift as you enjoy a quick run or walk outside. If you have a gym at your workplace, that’s an option, but at Keep Calm and Run To The Best You, we advocate for outdoor running year round. Do whatever you can stick with and you’ll experience the real benefits of taking a break. Avoid burnout and increase your productivity when you take regular breaks during your intense work day. Just be sure to face forward in traffic if you’re running near cars, and follow the other road rules (even in the parking lot) to ensure your safety at all times.

3. Avoid Eating a Heavy Lunch

Eating a heavy lunch at work is never a good idea. We have all done this at least once before, where you pig out on food at a work party or at your favorite restaurant, then you go back to work with a full stomach and all you can do is think about getting home to your couch. Overeating, or eating highly processed foods, is the worst thing you can do on a lunch break. It’s better not to eat anything at all and just opt for a bottle of vitamin water, than to fuel yourself with junk food at the job.

Coach Tadris Parker is a master of squeezing in running time during his workday. Here’s what he says about how you can maximize your lunch break:

• Split your lunch break into thirds so you can exercise, rest, and mentally reset. If you take a 30-minute lunch break, you can run/walk for ten minutes, meditate or read for the next ten minutes, and recline to rest for the last ten minutes. If you get a full hour, split it into thirds and go with 20-20-20.

• Intermittent Fasting (IF) can support your lunch break running routine if you time it correctly. The Morning/Night routine allows your lunch period to be free. On this IF routine, you would eat a complete breakfast (a generous portion of protein-rich whole foods) fast for about four hours and go take a run at lunch time, then eat again after you get home from work. You can explore the different types of routines if you’re not sure how to get started.

• Coach Tadris smashed his mile time last week by following the Morning/Night IF method then driving to the track on his lunch break. Not only did he improve his pace and speed, but he felt physically re-energized and had a clear mind for the rest of his shift, even during the busiest season at his workplace. It’s amazing what we can accomplish on a short lunch break!

  Listen To Podcast

At Keep Calm and Run To The Best You, we are actively helping people from all walks of life to get healthier and happier in the body they’ve got! We’ve collected advice from professionals, combed through archives, and gathered insights from our group members. Click here to see the rest of our 101 health tips about running, intermittent fasting, and weight loss.

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Coach Tadris Parker trains athletes at all levels for local or virtual running events.

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