Working Lunch
Sun Herald
Sunday May 2, 1999
A work-out of just 40 minutes? That was the challenge set for ADRIAN SCARDILLI - find three gyms across Sydney and see what you can fit in during the lunchbreak.
This is his slightly breathless report.
The clock nears 1pm and across the city, office workers are discussing lunch. What are you having? Where are going to eat? Do you feel like Indian? I know this little place. Within seconds, offices are cleared as everybody bolts for the elevator. It's the lunch-hour rush to a decent feed.
But instead of following the pack, more office workers are taking the time to get into shape and using their 40 minutes (allowing time to get there, change and shower and get back to the desk) to shape up.
I grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the nearest gym to join them in a solid "lunchtime work-out".
Forty minutes later: beads of sweat dripped as my legs paced at an average speed of 80km/h on the bike. The voice of a hyperactive instructor rang in my ears: " Come on, let's pick up the pace, only one more minute to go." I struggled to keep moving, powered along by some high-energy aerobic music. "Come on, 30 seconds to go, I want to see you sweat just a little bit more," the instructor screamed.
Should I just stop pedalling? I wondered. I don't. This is time when the body reaps the benefits of a hard work-out and where you make progress. Keeping up with the rest of the enthusiastic bike pedallers in the semi-dark gym, I finished the "spinning" class. It felt as if I had conquered the world.
Ten minutes later the feeling, though slightly subdued, was still there and I headed back to work content with my productivity level and more relaxed than when I had begun the morning.
Spinning is one of the latest fitness crazes in Hollywood, adopted by stars such as Madonna, and a lot of Sydney's health-conscious young workers have been interested to see what all the hype is about. So far, it's offered at only a few gyms around Sydney, but spinning definitely deserves a thumbs up for effectiveness.
For the price of a casual visit ($15), spinning involves sitting on a specially designed Reebok exercise bike (it looks like a real bicycle) and pedalling for up to 45 minutes while being instructed on how fast or slow to go.
Spinning is just one of the many activities available at North Sydney's Bodyline gym during lunch.
Other ways to boost the heart rate include taking one of the bodypump, aero or bodystep classes available. The clean and fresh atmosphere of Bodyline made it just that little bit easier to find that extra push.
With gyms getting bigger and busier these days, ventilation is a must, making air conditioning No 1 on the priority list.
After a heavy cardio workout at Bodyline, I moved on to the Hyde Park Club on Castlereagh Street in the CBD. Compared with the Bodyline gym, which is a semi-upmarket gym with relatively new equipment, the Hyde Park Club is one step ahead in all areas.
Stepping into the slick club is like walking into another world; a world where fitness meets comfort and time is lost in the surrounding pleasures.
For my 40 minutes of pain to gain, I decided to go for a session of light weights followed by a swim. Weights have never been my strong point but with top-of-the-range high-tech machinery available at Hyde Park Club, pumping iron is a pleasure.
My instructor Kylie (or, as I like to think of her, the Princess of Pain) gaves me some handy hints on what, when and how to get the most out of a work-out. Before starting I went through a series of stretches - stretching for arms, legs and neck is essential before attempting to lift any type of weights.
So I set out to do a range of exercises Kylie said would be the best way to achieve something during the given period. Soon, slight muscle pain spread through my body. Instead of just working one muscle, I was instructed to do exercises which work as many as three muscles at one time.
The result of these compound exercises is definite muscle toning. It was evident for the rest of the lunchbreak. Two months of continuous compound exercising could achieve a constant firmness, the Princess said.
Jumping into the pool to relax and cool off made a nice change and proved the defining factor in gym comfort. An easy 10-minute swim in the pool finished what had been a pleasant work-out.
The changing rooms at Hyde Park are glamorous and the showers deserve special note. Spacious, they provided everything needed to get back to work without smelling like you have just worked out - shampoo, conditioner and clean, fresh towels.
Two days later, another lunchtime. I entered Ausbodz Fitness Centre at Parramatta, ready for another stint. The gym was large, with two levels, but the ventilation could do with a bit of a work-out itself. For such a large place, there seemed to be a distinct lack of fresh air.
I arrived at about 12.45pm but there was already a small number of people who looked like they were in lunchtime work-out mode.
Having attempted an aerobic and weights work-out, the next task was to mix the two. This time, the "Kylie" is co-owner Donna Berry, and she showed me around. No time to dawdle though - five minutes later I was on the step machine.
Ten minutes on the step, 10 more on the treadmill and five on the bike has the cardiovascular part of the work-out more than covered. Add a light 15-minute weight work-out and a perfect balance of fitness in a lunchtime session was achieved.
As I stepped back into the real world, I enjoyed the extremely satisfying feeling the work-out gave me.
This was definitely the ultimate balance in a lunchtime as it doesn't leave you sore in one particular area but spread the hard work to all muscles.
So getting along to a gym - or fitness centre as they liked to be called - and putting in a solid work-out can leave you feeling on top of the world for the rest of the day. After a quick shower and walk back to the office, the strain and pain is forgotten and the rest the day flies past.
The lunchtime work-out has become a day-to-day occurrence for thousands in many of Sydney's workplaces. The practice has become a trend and is set to keep growing as more and more health-wise workers dump their fatty lunchtime food for up to an hour of intense exercise.
In fact, lunchtime is shaping up as the perfect time of the day for workers to get out and increase their fitness and health. As the average time spent in the workplace has become longer over the past few years, people are finding themselves with less personal time. A 40-minute stint in the lunchtime saved going to the gym at other times - and keeps you fit.
Therese Norgard from the Hyde Park Club said: "It's beneficial if people can exercise at any time of the day. If lunch is the only time they can get to the gym and get fit, it's going to reduce their stress levels for the rest of the day. It is also a pleasant environment.
"With working in the city, it is nice to get out of the madness and come into somewhere that makes you feel good."
Despite the fact that many workers might return to the office 10-15 minutes late, bosses were encouraging staff to take up the practice.
Many employers have realised that a 40-minute work-out can work wonders for a worker's efficiency: it reduces stress levels, encourages a more positive outlook and increases productivity.
Many people eschew a big weight training session, rather concentrating on a fitness work-out.
Ausbodz's Donna Berry said people who attend the gym at lunchtime are more interested in keeping fit than body-building.
"We have a lot of lunchtime workers come in and concentrate on cardio work-outs and aerobics, rather than pumping heavy weights. This gave the workers a chance to feel fit and healthy," she said.
"A good 45-50-minute cardio class about three times a week will certainly leave workers much better off."
I have joined a gym and the lunchtime work-out has been pencilled into my diary two days a week (soon to be three). I have seen the light and am slowly converting to this new lunchtime religion.
Calories lost during a one-hour session
Gym (30 min treadmill, 30 min weights) 600-1,000
Squash 400-700
Jogging 600-800
Swimming 460-700
Walking 400-600
Weights 350-500
Note: These are estimates. Figures may vary depending on size, effort and strength of each individual.
CHECK LIST
PARRAMATTA
Ausbodz Fitness Club
Ph 9687 1616
Open: Monday to Thursday 5am-midnight, Friday till 10pm, Saturday 8am-8pm, Sunday 9am-7pm.
Membership: six months $395, 12 months $500, casual entry $12.
Personal trainers: about $55 an hour.
Equipment: cardio gear, free weights, steam room and lockers.
Programs: aerobic classes, fighting fatness classes, face-to-face programs.
CITY
Hyde Park Club
Ph 9282 8999
Open: Monday to Friday 6am-9pm, Saturday 6am-4.30pm, Sunday 6am-3.30pm.
Membership: $2,100 for first year, then $1,600 annually, includes personal trainer once a week for first three months. No casual entry.
Equipment: 22m heated swimming pool, Nautilus, cycling room, squash court, sauna, steam room and spa.
Programs: Personal training, private swimming training, specialised aerobic classes, therapeutic massage, yoga.
NORTH SYDNEY
Bodyline Fitness Centre
Ph 9956 5533
Open: Monday to Thursday 6am-9.30pm, Friday 6am-8pm, Saturday 8am-7pm, Sunday 10am-6pm.
Membership: $903, students $495, casual entry $15, discounted rate for "Visit Packs".
Equipment: Weights and machine weights, cardio room, treadmill room, sauna, aerobic room, "spinning" room.
Programs: Personal training, basic, intermediate and advanced aerobic classes, bodystep, spinning, yoga, bodypump.
© 1999 Sun Herald