No time to exercise? Here are 3 easy workouts you can do in your lunch break.

Image via iStock

When you work in an office, it can be all too easy to get through the entire day without moving.

All those reports labelling sitting the new smoking really aren’t exaggerating — multiple studies have shown that people who sit for long periods of time each day are more at risk of diabetes, cancers and heart disease, as well as lower back and neck pain.

The good news is you don’t need extended blocks of time to exercise; even a few minutes here and there will make all the difference. We asked Nardia Norman, Training Maestro for the Australian Institute of Fitness, to share three easy workouts you can do during your lunch break, no matter how long or short it is.

30 minute workout

According to Norman, the trick to nailing a half-hour working is to “keep the routine simple by focusing on compound body weight movements that encourage movement in all directions.”

Warm up with stretching, focusing on the areas that get tight with sitting, such as hip flexors, quads, chest, front of the shoulder, the neck, wrists and elbows. Spend 10 minutes warming up, working through hip openers, calf stretches and rotating the shoulders and stretching the spine.

The five exercises in the main circuit (detailed in the gallery below) are:

A: Squats

B: Lunges

C: Hindu Push Ups

D: Lateral Lunges

E: Superman (Post continues after gallery.)

Conduct 10 repetitions of each exercise – this is one circuit.  At the end of each circuit, walk, jog or run for 200 metres.  Repeat this as many times as required for 15 minutes.

Finish the session with another five minutes of yoga flows, stretching and one to two minutes of relaxing while lying down on your back.

15 minute workout

Spend five to seven minutes on warm up stretches and mobilisers.

For your circuit, conduct 10 repetitions of each exercise A – E.  Repeat as many circuits as you can the remainder of your time.

10 minute workout

Even if you’re only working out for a short time, it’s still important to warm up properly. Use your first five minutes to work through your warm up stretches and mobilisers.

Then do 10 repetitions of each exercise, and repeat as many circuits as you can in five minutes.

Don’t forget to take the time to cool down before returning to your desk.

According to Norman, you don't need a lot of space to work out — even a space of two metres by two metres is great for yoga or stretching. As the weather gets warmer, try a nearby park or open space.

Just make sure you stay hydrated and eat after exercising. And maybe take a shower if you get really sweaty...

Do you workout during your lunch break?