Pack A Brown Bag Lunch and Explore The City
Gone are the days of the three-martini lunch. A time when you could leisurely dine on steak, oysters, and lobster all while slowly sipping a chilled gin martini. Today everyone is in such a hurry, and at times too busy to even take a lunch break. It is important to take a moment out of your day, and recharge your batteries. Long Beach has many healthy ways to spend your mid-day break. Just pack a Brown Bag Lunch, and explore the city.
Balance your mind, body, and soul while breathing in the fresh ocean air. Dharma Yogalution Movement offers free yoga classes on the bluff every day from 11 am to noon. Enjoy the view of the water, sand, and Long Beach skyline. Let trained yoga instructors guide through the body strengthening poses like the crow, half moon, candle, and rag doll. What a great combination yoga and nature.
Working out at lunch can be a bit intimidating. However, walking is one of the best exercises for your body, and it is free. Long Beach has a walking path along the entire seven miles of coastline. You can even multi-task and walk your dog at lunch. Rosie’s Dog Beach is a dog-friendly part of the beach on Ocean Blvd. between Granada Ave. and Roycroft Ave. in Belmont Shore.
Another exercise that is excellent for your body is swimming. It is a complete body workout. It keeps the heart rate up, takes impact stress off the body, and builds endurance. It helps to strength muscles and maintain cardiovascular fitness. If you only swim once a week your heart and lungs will still benefit from the exercise. The outdoor Belmont Pool is open daily for lap swim. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 10 am – 2 pm, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 11 am – 2 pm, and Sat/Sun from 8 am to noon. The cost is $4 a session, and parking is in the metered lot next to the pool. Parking costs $1 per hour, and the meters only take quarters.
Right around the corner from the pool on Bay Shore Drive you can swim in the bay for free. Experience swimming in the cool salt water without the fear of the open sea.
If water excites you, but swimming is a bit too much, enjoy your brown bag lunch aboard the Aqualink – Water Taxi. For the fare of $5, the Aqualink will take you along the Long Beach Harbor. You can board the Aqualink at Dock 4 near the Long Beach Aquarium, the Queen Mary, the Belmont Pier, and Alamitos Bay Landing.
Exercising the body is healthy, but the mind is just important. Your brain actually grows and gets stronger when you learn. Feed your brain at lunch and visit the Long Beach Museum of Art. View the always changing exhibits or revisit some of your favorites from the permanent in-house collections. The best part is the museum is free to the public all day every Friday.
Exploring the city at lunch is easy, and a lot less expensive than a three-martini lunch. However, after eating your Brown Bag Lunch, if a fancy drink sounds interesting try a healthy cold pressed juice. There are several new juice bars in the city. According to the Mayo Clinic, fresh pressed juice can reduce your risk of cancer, boost your immune system, and help remove toxins from your body. Since juicing removes the fiber from the fruit this gives your digestion system a rest at your mid-day break too.
Your lunch break should be just that, a break! A chance to breathe and relax and recharge in order to finish your work day strong. Whatever you choose to do, whether it is one of the options listed above or something else, make sure it’s something you enjoy. Because, hey, you’ve earned it.
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