The weekend is meant for fun and relaxation, but too much of that can throw your fitness/health routine out of whack and make it harder to stick to a healthy lifestyle. There are many ways to fit health and fitness into your weekend schedule, but one of the best ways is to combine the fun with the fitness. Here are some tips that can help you stay healthy while enjoying your free time:
Take a Hike
Most of us use the weekend to fit in socializing and catching up with friends. Why not get a group together for a morning or early afternoon hike? You can grab a healthy brunch afterwards and feel good about how you started your day!
Hop On a Bike
A group bike ride is another great way to spend a saturday or sunday morning or afternoon. Get some friends together and bike to your favorite lunch spot or stop by some of your favorite shops. You can get a workout in on the way to your destination and then work off the calories from whatever you ate or snacked on when you’re heading back home!
Be Wise About Your Errands
Instead of hopping in the car at the last minute to fit in all your errands at the end of the weekend, leave plenty of time to do them, and while you’re at it, skip the car. Walk or bike to the store to pick up the things you need, drop off your dry cleaning, or stop by the bank. If you live in an area where this is difficult to do, park your car further away so you can get some walking in. In between errands, meet up with friends for lunch, or even better, get in a quick workout in the afternoon, then head out for an evening of fun with friends. You’ll get all the daunting stuff out of the way early and be able to relax more knowing you didn’t waste your day.
Join a Class
Get a likeminded friend, or even a group of likeminded friends and join a fitness or dance class during the weekend. You can grab food or drinks after class and feel good about the physical activity you were able to squeeze in beforehand. You may have noticed that eating and drinking is something that’s been suggested in every tip. Well, that’s because most of our time socializing with friends involves wining and dining, so if we can also throw in a healthy activity to enjoy with friends before the fun begins, it’ll feel even more rewarding!
Limit Yourself
If most or even all of the previous suggestions don’t work for you, or just don’t sound good, there are other things you can do to stay on the healthy side during the weekend. If you’re going out to eat with friends, avoid ordering anything with a creamy or rich sauce, or anything that’s fried or battered. When ordering drinks, give yourself a limit and try to stick to low calorie cocktails (meaning no soda or sugary, fruity concoctions). If you can’t squeeze in a workout, try to get as much physical activity in your day as possible. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator, walk the extra few feet when you can, and don’t spend too much time lying around on the couch!
There are so many different ways to make the most out of your weekend when it comes to both fun and health. You can come up with your own plans and ideas by making a list of all the things you’d like to do that are enjoyable, and the things you’d like to fit in that are not as enjoyable. Then find ways to fit them all into your schedule in a way that is minimally stressful and hopefully more fun than you initially expected. Accomplishing this is very rewarding and satisfying. So get moving and make it happen!
