Health

7 Quick Lunchtime Workouts in Washington

These local gyms offer shortened fitness classes you can squeeze in on your lunch break.

Need a break from your office desk? Re-energize at Epic Yoga's lunchtime yoga class, or head to other studios and gyms for a midday break. Photograph courtesy of Epic Yoga.

On your next lunch hour, instead of eating at your desk, try heading to your local gym for a metabolism-boosting recharge. We’ve found the best lunchtime workouts in the Washington area, perfect for busy professionals who need to get in, work out, and get back to the office.

Results Gym
Locations in Capitol Hill and Downtown
Results Gym offers a number of group classes perfect for a quick afternoon pick-me-up. At 12:15 PM is H.E.A.T. (High Energy Athletic Training), a 45-minute session that includes moves with weights, steps, and Bosu balls and is designed to improve agility, strength, balance, and cardiovascular health. If H.E.A.T. doesn’t appeal, check out one of the many other 45-minute lunchtime offerings, including Pilates, Boot Camp, Studio Cycling, Chisel (a sculpting class focusing on high-intensity weight training), Results Barre, and Results Flow (a flow-based class modeled on sun salutations). For people who are truly in a hurry, there’s even a 15-minute abs class at lunchtime. Make sure to check the schedule posted on the Results website. 

Balance Gym
1111 14th St., NW; 202-216-9000
If you’re in the mood for some heart-pumping cardio at lunch, stop by Balance Gym’s Thomas Circle location on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and choose from cycling or boot-camp classes. Balance’s popular 45-minute Express Spin class, offered from 12:30 to 1:15 PM, features energizing music to help you stay engaged and motivated. Boot Camp, offered at noon, squeezes a warmup and one to three “mini workouts” into one high-intensity, 45-minute class. The program is “designed to get members stronger, faster, and more limber, and to improve overall body composition,” says instructor Devin Maier.

Past Tense Studio
3253 Mt. Pleasant St., NW; 202-462-9642
Looking for some Zen on your lunch hour? Then check out Past Tense Studio’s Power Lunch yoga class. The hour-long class, offered at noon several days a week, is described as an “energetic and revitalizing experience” and is appropriate for students of all levels. Check Past Tense’s website for class schedules and to book a spot.

Epic Yoga
1323 Connecticut Ave., NW; 202-833-5914
Not only does Dupont Circle’s newest yoga studio offer an intense, hour-long Power Lunch yoga class, it also features an additional perk: laundry service. If you need to hurry back to work after your lunchtime practice, you can drop off your yoga apparel to be cleaned and stored on site, so it’s ready for your next visit. Power Lunch is offered at noon on weekdays; check the website for a complete class schedule. 

Biker Barre
738 Seventh St., SE; 202-733-1009
Biker Barre, a new Capitol Hill studio that offers indoor cycling and barre classes, serves up its 45-minute express barre workout at lunchtime on weekdays. If you’re new to barre workouts, Biker Barre recommends you try at least two all-level open barre classes before attempting an express class. Visit the Biker Barre website to book a spot.

Mint
1724 California St., NW; 202-328-6468
Midsection feeling soft? Swing by Mint’s Dupont location at 12:30 for the Express Core class, a “tough” 30-minute workout targeting abs and obliques. Or stop by the downtown location for Express TRX (a total-body workout involving suspension training) or Express Circuit Training (a combination of strength training and aerobic exercise), both only 30 minutes. If you’re even more pressed for time, try the 20-minute Core Focus class, which works abs, obliques, and the mid to lower back. Check Mint’s website for class schedules at both of its locations.

Sport&Health
Multiple locations
With a large number of locations in both Maryland and Virginia, Sport&Health has lunchtime classes convenient for people who work outside the District. At the Bethesda location, for instance, Sport&Health’s offerings include Ab Lab at noon (a 15-minute class focusing on abdominal and lower back strength), Cycle Plus at 12:15 (a 45-minute cycling and strength training workout), and Metabolic Effect at 12:20 (a 30-minute cardio-interval workout designed to fire up your metabolism). Check the Sport&Health website for a full class schedule and more locations.