5 Great Things to Do on Your Lunch Hour

5 Great Things to Do on Your Lunch Hour

Lunchtime often slips away in the never-ending quest for productivity. Make your lunch really count with the following creative ideas.

1. Be a hero.

This is the easiest way to save a life, and it will take as long as it does to go out for a sandwich. Take an hour to give blood at the non-profit Rhode Island Blood Center, the state's only source of blood and blood products for the hospitals of RI. It's as easy as making an appointment via their Web site, here, or checking for blood drives in your Zip code, here. What's even better is that there are five centers now, statewide: in Woonsocket, Providence, Warwick, Middletown, and Narragansett. For more information on each location, go here.

2. Get Behind the (Art) Scene.

The Newport Art Museum hosts "Getting to Know You" lunchtime events on a regular basis. Bring a brown bag, your best treats, and enjoy behind-the-scenes talks and tours. The next event is November 23 at noon. 76 Bellevue Ave, 848-8200, or go here.

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3. Skate.

The Bank of America City Center opens for ice skating this week (November 19), and offers a Lunch Special every day, Mon-Fri from 12-2 pm (excluding school vacation weeks and holidays), with admission $3, and skate rental $3.

Make it a regular habit and invest in a season's pass for Lunch Time Weekdays, at only $30. For more information (or to confirm they're open during inclement weather) call 331-5544. For more information on all the skating programs, go here.

4. Get Zen.

A lunchtime yoga class does double duty - a physical workout and pick-me-up for your afternoon of focus, but also a great time for destressing. Motion Center (111 Chestnut St) in Providence offers lunchtime alignment yoga on Tuesdays and Iyengar Yoga on Thursdays, both from 12:30-1:30pm. Drop-in price is $10/class, or get a 10-class pass for $90. 654-6650. If you've got a looser schedule, Focus Yoga (63 Cedar Ave) in East Greenwich offers lunchtime yoga for all levels from 12:30-1:45 on Mondays. All classes are $15.

5. Love an Animal.

There is no easier way to volunteer on a lunch hour than by dropping by any of RI's animal shelters, and spending some time petting, holding, and talking to animals waiting for adoption. Staff will guide in what's okay and not, and your only challenge is to head back to work without a new pet. For a great list of animal shleters statewide, go here.