Sporty Sunday: Lunchtime Workout Recovery

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!