Spa treatments may not seem synonymous with business travel, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t indulge while you’re on the road. Massages are a good way to relieve the stresses of business life (and those travel annoyances that can crop up), and quiet time in a sweet-smelling darkened room – no matter how brief – is a good way to decompress.

Plus, we can all use a helping hand when it comes to jet lag. So here are a few ways to make spa treatments part of your business travel plan.

Short & Sweet

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When you travel, pick a hotel with a spa that offers treatments under 30 minutes. You’ll be able to find time to squeeze that in, and you don’t even have to leave your hotel.

The I Spa at the InterContinental San Francisco, for instance, offers a 25-minute Express Facial, and a 25-minute Express Swedish Massage to loosen tight muscles, focusing on the back and shoulders.  At the Four Seasons Sydney’s Endota Spa, you can enjoy a 15-minute Billabong Footbath, which includes a lulling exfoliation and foot massage.

And bear in mind that the shorter the treatment, the cheaper the price – bonus!

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On The Go

Picture: Six Senses Spa Abu Dhabi Airport

Airports and airlines know their clientele are on a schedule, so they aim to make things happen as quickly as possible. Abu Dhabi’s Six Senses Spa in the Etihad First and Business Class lounge is a case in point. Here you can get 15-minute massages, including back, head, foot, and hand and arm massages.

Passing through London Heathrow? Get there a little early to visit the British Airways Travel Spa by Elemis at Terminal 5 so you can float on to your flight. Here you’ll find treatments ranging from facials to massages, as well as brow shapes and manicures for some professional polish.

Meanwhile, spa company Be Relax offers services including chair massages, express manicures and pedicures at airport kiosks across Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia.

Travel Treatments

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Spa treatments can also target specific effects of travel. For example, Etihad’s Six Senses Spa in Abu Dhabi offers a Jetlag Leg body treatment, which takes 15 minutes and reduces swelling with a scrub, cooling compressions and tension-releasing movements. Or try the 15-minute Face Radiance facial to bring a glow back to skin that has suffered the effects of long-haul flights and airconditioning.

British Airways Travel Spa offers travellers through London’s Heathrow and New York’s JFK airports a Jet Lag Eye Reviver treatment to reduce dark circles and soothe tired eyes.  Be Relax also has an Oxygen & Aromatherapy treatment that claims to reduce the effects of jet lag, improve sleep, and give an instant feeling of wellbeing.

Do you have swollen legs from your flight? Enjoy a spa treatment in the comfort of your hotel room at London’s Knightsbridge Hotel. Here you can have a 30-minute Leg & Foot Energiser treatment that involves skin brushing to eliminate excess fluids, followed by a Mediterranean scrub, warm oil massage and friction tap.

So spas are not just for holidays. Take some time out to reduce stress and boost productivity with a spa treatment when you’re on the road.

* Featured image: Getty Images