When life gets busy, lunch breaks take on a new kind of importance.
While some might opt for the sad desk salad or a quick bite from home, that hour of reprieve from the work can fit an extra calorie burn or a much-needed break for self care.
Here are some quick, creative ways to spend a lunch break.
Take a nap
Apart from actually, y'know, eating lunch, sleeping is the best way to get an energy boost during the lunch hour. Rejuvenate Spas (303 Peachtree Center Ave NE, Suite AL-112, Atlanta. 404-800-7354. rejuvenatespas.com) offers nap stations in its specialty EnergyPods, where area patrons can stop in for 20, 30, 45 and 60-minute naps—for a cost starting at $14. The pods recline at the optimum level for resting, allowing maximum blood flow through the body and offering music, too.
Wax on, wax off
Primping on a tight timeline? Look no further than Sweet Peach Wax & Sugaring Studio (Sandy Springs, Virginia Highlands. sweetpeachwax.com), which will have patrons in and out with enough time for another stop before the lunch hour is up. Each appointment takes about 10 minutes. While ripping hair out from the roots may not seem all that tempting, the technicians at Sweet Peach manage to make the experience feel like an indulgence. Expect fun distractions like "Sex & The City" playing in the background. Be sure to pick up a jar of the studio's signature sugar scrub on the way out.
Log a sweat session
Plenty of Atlanta's best fitness boutiques offer abbreviated classes during the noon hour, allowing workout gurus to satisfy a different kind of craving during their lunch breaks. Race the clock with an express spin class at Torq Cycle (935 Marietta St., Atlanta. 404-606-6931. torqatl.com) that clocks in at 35 minutes, or stretch your mind and body in the lunchtime express class at Sun Dragon Yoga (6375 Spalding Dr., Suite E, Norcross. 313-303-0096. sundragonyoga.com).
Get a manicure
It's natural to want to stretch spa treatments and luxuries out to laast as long as possible, but sometimes it only takes a fresh coat of polish to make the day a little brighter. Stop in at Sugarcoat (Various locations. sugarcoatbeauty.com) grab a 30-minute mani for $15, or add an express pedicure, too, and walk out for $35. Somehow, these pros fit nail-shaping, soaks, cuticle cair and polish application into the mix in an astonishingly short amount of time.
MORE: Here are 5 of Atlanta's swankiest nail salons
Walk the Beltline
Stretch your legs while checking out some of the hottest new restaurants in town with a stroll on the Beltline during the lunch. Grab a meal to go from the central food hall at Ponce City Market (675 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta. 404-900-7900. poncecitymarket.com) and maximize that hour away from the office with food, sun and a little bit of exercise. POLL: What's your favorite eatery at Ponce City Market?
Get a facial
Taking a lunch break in general can help kick workplace fatique, but that doesn't mean you can't maximize the rejuvenating effects with a quick facial. Try the Peeling Groovy Facial at Bliss Spa (188 14th St NE, Atlanta. 404-724-2570. blissworld.com) and have smoother face in 30 minutes. Just be careful—this can leave your face blotchy and red.
