Tips for a healthier lunch break

Tips for a healthier lunch break

02/11/2015

Workers often spend their lunch break in the canteen and then suffer a so-called „Schnitzel coma“. Tiredness then makes working extra stressful. But there are also alternatives for the break that keep you awake and fit.

It does not always have to be the canteen
For many employees, the daily walk to the canteen has become a solid ritual during the lunch break. However, it is boring to always eat the same dishes. Some people therefore use lunchtime to do their own thing and go to the gym, take a nap, do yoga or other relaxation exercises to escape the stress of everyday life. In a message from the dpa news agency, there are six tips for workers what they can do during this time.

At noon to the gym
In the past year, the German Society for Sports Medicine and Prevention (DGSP) had pointed out that already a quarter of an hour exercise during the lunch break not only increases concentration and well-being, but studies even life expectancy. Basically, there are no limits to the urge to move. Be it a round of jogging in the park or working out in the gym at lunchtime. Stefan Tilk, CEO of Fitness First Germany explains in the agency message: „There are very crisp workouts where the whole body is trained in 30 minutes.“ In particular, studios in large cities offer short courses between noon and 2 pm, among them McFit or Clever Fit. An alternative is also a circuit training on equipment, in which professionals train all muscle groups within half an hour.

Taking a keychain while taking a nap
Naps are common in countries like Japan, the US or England. In Germany, according to dpa there is only a bedroom. The shop by Irina Ivachkovets is called Napping and is located in Berlin's Zimmerstraße near Checkpoint Charlie. „People from the surrounding offices come here to sleep comfortably for a few minutes at noon“, so the owner. It costs up to 15 o'clock eight euros for 20 minutes to lie down. The variant that is probably more frequently chosen, is the nap in the office: put your head on the desk or relax on the office chair. Bettina Geißler, coach in Norderstedt near Hamburg, advises professionals to pick up a keychain to find the right amount of sleep. If you fall asleep right, the hand relaxes, the bunch falls down and you wake up. Last year's Forsa survey found that 15 percent of men, but only 6 percent of women, take a nap at lunchtime, although the short nap encourages concentration and performance.

Learn vocabulary during the break
Some professionals also use lunchtime to educate themselves. For example, the break offers itself for learning vocabulary. Employees do not necessarily have to go to a local language school, says Birgit Metzger, marketing manager at Berlitz. „CyberTeachers is an online self-learning program that tailors content to each participant - in 20 core industries and 218 job profiles.“ E-learning programs that anyone can work on during their lunch break also have language schools such as Inlingua or regional providers on offer.

Lunch break for the soul
The dpa writes about another possibility for which the lunch break can be used: praying. The devotion in the main Protestant church of St. Jacobi in the center of Hamburg, which has existed for over ten years, is called: Lunch break for the soul. Every Tuesday at 12.30 pm, they can visit working people. „Everyone is welcome“, so parish pastor Patrick Klein. The devotion lasts up to 20 minutes. „The very reduced liturgy is laid out on paper so everyone can follow the devotion“, Klein explains. There are also midday devotions in the Berlin Cathedral and the Dresden Frauenkirche.

The dance leg swing
But you can also swing the dance leg in time. Lunchbeats - discos at lunchtime - originally came from Stockholm. Meanwhile, they are organized in clubs and pubs. The locations can be found on the internet. Some companies, such as the Otto Group in Hamburg, also offer the pause disco for employees. „We also have a concert with live music, comedy or theater during our lunch break“, Kristina Drews, employee at the Hamburg headquarters. It is said that Beat Box or Sounds Unplugged give them the opportunity to get to know their colleagues from another side.

Alternatives to the canteen visit
Those who need more adrenaline and have an hour, can experience a computer game live, for example, at the company Exit Berlin. A team locked up in a room must complete a mission that it has previously determined. It's all about sense and creativity, the ability to solve puzzles and work together as a team to crack the final code. Also in cities like Munich, Frankfurt and Darmstadt, there are exit games where the goal is to be with the help of individual Tips to get out of a room or situation. In addition to these six dpa tips, there are numerous other alternatives to the canteen visit during the lunch break. For example, according to the survey mentioned above, more than every third woman goes shopping during the time. For health reasons, but rather relaxation exercises for stress relief or back pain exercises offer. (Ad)