I started lunchtime workouts almost exactly ten years ago. I was in the Marines, at the time, and started using my lunch break to run and swim. My beauty routine was pretty low maintenance, so it was simple to recover from my workouts. I’d shower, slick my hair back into its regulation bun, reapply a little mascara, and be back to work. Once I started a civilian job and a more complex hair and makeup routine, recovering from a lunchtime workout was a little more involved, but I’ve got it down to 15 minutes.
Shower
I take a “navy shower” – get wet, hit the hot spots, and get out. I don’t wash my hair or even get wet above the neck.
Body
I apply lotion and antiperspirant and dress.
Face
I apply a little lotion under my eyes and anywhere else my makeup has become a little “crusty.” I recurl my eyelashes and apply mascara. I finish it off with pressed powder. I plan to share products that weather the gym well in a future post.
Hair
I think this is the most difficult part of recovering from a lunchtime workout for many women. Washing, drying, and styling my hair would take the full 15 minutes I’ve allotted to go from sweaty to presentable. While plenty of women at my gym take this time for their hair, I don’t choose to do so. I can’t afford the time or the stress on my somewhat delicate locks.
Sure, my head sweats and my hair is often damp when I finish workouts, but I don’t find this warrants washing. After all, how different is a little sweat from “surf spray?” If it’s really wet, I blowdry the sweaty bits. For the most part, though, I just let it be. The trick is a hairstyle that doesn’t depend on clean, dry strands.
I’m practiced with braids and updos, so it only takes me a few minutes to take my hair from its workout ponytail to a French twist, braid, or bun. Even quicker: wearing a ponytail for the rest of the day.
If I’m wearing my hair down or only half up, I usually dampen the ends in the shower to reactivate my natural waves.
I avoid hairstyles that require heat (like curling or flat irons). I love the look of more elaborate dos, but they don’t weather a lunchtime workout well.
Exercising at lunch is as much of a habit as a form of stress-release for me. It gives me a break from my day and a chance to work through any issues I’ve encountered in the morning. I’m willing to sacrifice a little polish for a runner’s high when I settle back into my desk after lunch.
Sporty Sunday is a recurring feature in which I share my fitness routine and offer and solicit advice. While this content might seem a little out of place in an outfit diary, a healthy, strong body is the foundation of my wardrobe. I hope to inspire my readers to be fit as well as stylish!
11 comments:
I'll look forward to hearing what makeup products survive a session at the gym with interest.
Great tips! I want to get back into exercise again, and lunch time might be my only option. But, I am hesitant because of having to be presentable again afterward.
You are such an inspiration to me to start managing my time better! I always wanted to run, but I feel like I never "have time." I too am interested to read about gym-surviving makeup. Please keep these kinds of posts coming :D
I like this Sporty Sunday thing! I'm thinking I need to step up and exercise like a big girl instead of being a brat and trying to talk myself into five minutes a day. This is just what I need!
thank you for this!
Do you wash your hair if you swim in the pool?
I don't swim at lunch anymore. I swim before or after work. I usually do not wash my hair with shampoo. I just rinse and condition.
So you exercise before work at lunch and after work, you have an incredible amount of energy to keep this up. When do you talk to your colleagues at work?
At most, I work out twice a day, but usually only once! I'm all business during work time. I don't gossip or socialize more than a few minutes a day. I'm really no fun at all.
I didn't mean to imply that you would be gossiping at work at lunch. I worked in the field of teaching and lunch was the time to catch up on what is going on with the other adults. Usually we shared the work load and would brainstorm over lunch so we would not have to stay any later than necessary after the students get on the bus. Perhaps teaching is different because the adults really need to collaborate in order to do the best job.
I really like the posting about exercise and how to recover and the waterproof eye makeup is genius. I really do love your blog thanks for taking the time to post.
Adrienne - I totally misunderstood you. I work in a more collaborative environment. We are constantly emailing, IMing, and meeting in person. As the Beefy Muchacho likes to say we're the "meetinest bunch of folks" he's ever known.
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