Take a proper break and get outside at lunchtime! Need some break ideas? Try one of these 10 activities which are quick enough for an office break but long enough to feel rested back at work.

Yoga. You might love it. You might loathe it. Until you’ve tried it swinging from the rafters, Cirque du Soleil-style, though, reserve judgement. Yep, we’re talking aerial yoga. Suspended silk hammocks allow you to ease more deeply into the exercises whilst challenging your balance, core and upper body. Want killer arms and ripped abs? This could be your secret weapon. And, of course, yogic inversions are said to be anti-ageing. You can squeeze a 45 minute lunchtime session in at Gymbox Victoria or Farringdon.

If you work within walking distance of Bridewell Theatre, located off Fleet Street, you can take in one of their Lunchbox Theatre productions and get back to your desk in time to avoid any unwant-ed office dramas of your own making. Tickets for the productions, which run from 1pm to 1.45pm, are available online and on the door.

You might have spent three years avoiding them, but there’s something oddly satisfying about going to a lecture as an adult – especially when it’s free! Why not expand your mind, get inspired and learn something new? Wherever your interests lie, there’s a talk out there that’ll speak to you. Fancy yourself as an art buff? The National Gallery runs a programme of free lunchtime talks lasting 30-45 minutes. Politics or science more your bag? Get down to one of UCL’s free 40-minute Lunch Hour Lectures – upcoming topics include ‘Mobilising Our Immune System to Fight Cancer’ and ‘Can We Ever Have a Crime Free World?’. The Wellcome Collection’s Packed Lunch discussions might run a tad longer, but never fear – you’re positively encouraged to bring your sarnies with you. Previous sessions have covered everything from space to bats, via sewers, the psychology of music, insomnia, how diet affects the ageing process and whether it’s really possible to die of a broken heart.

You might live and work in London, but how much of it have you actually seen? Use your lunch break as an opportunity to play tourist and take a free tour of a museum or gallery you’ve never visited before. The Royal Academyruns tours at 1pm, Tuesday-Friday, whilst the British Museum runs 30-40 minute tours throughout the day, with 45 minute talks from guest curators and speakers taking place at 1.15pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Meanwhile, the Tate Modern runs daily 30-45 minute guided tours of their ‘In the Studio’ and ‘Performer and Participant’ exhibitions at lunchtimes, whilst the Tate Britain offers 15-minute ‘Art in Focus’ talks at 1.15pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays (the artwork changes every month).

Yes, yes, we all know mindfulness is the new black, but we also know that the fight for a quiet corner to be at one with ourselves in a Central London office or coffee shop is a battle we’re going to lose. If you’re in the Covent Garden or City areas, though, you can find some inner space at Inner Space, which offers free 30 minute drop-in classes in Creative Meditation at 1pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at both locations. [Photo credit: Innerhofer/ullstein bild | Getty Images]

Think a facial or backrub would do a better job of re-centring you than half an hour of meditation? Pop into the Speed Spa at House of Elemis, Mayfair, for a 15-30 minute facial, massage, manicure or pedicure. You can even have your brows sorted out while you’re at it. City slicker? Askinology at Leadenhall Market offers a menu of 6 30-minute facials, each costing £45. For an extra tenner, you can treat your eyes, lips or neck to a 10-minute add-on treatment of your choice. [Photo credit: AGF | Getty Images]

Inject a bit of culture into your lunch break with a free lunchtime recital. The Royal Opera House is currently running free concerts at various venues around London, whilst the building undergoes refurbishment. Free 45 minute concerts also take place at St Martin-in-the-Fields on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and at LSE.

No time to go to the gym? Sorry, that excuse isn’t going to wash for much longer. If you can’t face a pre-work workout, you can now cram a 50 minute Arms & Abs session at Barry’s Bootcamp East into your lunch break. If that doesn’t appeal, give spinning a spin with a 45 minute class at Psycle London. Don’t have 45 minutes to spare? Try a 25 minute power plate session at Good Vibes in London’s Fitzrovia or Covent Garden, or give the crawling trend a bash at Virgin Active’s 20 minute Zuu class.

Always fancied giving Latin or ballroom dancing a whirl? Work near Paddington? Pop into Dance Art London on your lunch break for a 45 minute beginners’ class. Not so fleet of foot? Then why not try a Booty Barre or Full Body Conditioning class instead? Getting fit and having fun = winning at life. [Photo credit: Vince Talott | Getty Images]

Prefer eating to moving? Fair enough, no judgement here. But why not learn how to whip up a gastropub-worthy feast of your very own with a 30-60 minute lunchtime cookery class at Atelier des Chefs, London’s most popular cookery school? Classes take place at Oxford Circus and St. Paul’s, and cover everything from gourmet burgers to Thai street food. Once you’ve learned how to put a Michelin star-worthy packed lunch together, though, what are you going to do with that spare hour? Well, you could always learn Mandarin… Get a group of 6-12 colleagues together and the Languages at Lunch team will come to your workplace to teach you Spanish, French, German, Italian or – yes – even Mandarin. Well, it beats 15 minutes on Candy Crush, doesn’t it?