Top 10 Healthy Weekend Activities

You’ve finally made it to the best time of the week: the weekend! You’ve been working hard all week and are ready to kick back and relax. Nothing sounds better than laying on the couch with a beer and football on TV. But don’t get too comfortable, HFR and Samir Becic, author of new book ReSYNC Your Life, bring you the top 10 activities to get active and healthy during your time out of the office.:

• Try not to sleep in: As great as it sounds to sleep in until noon Saturday morning, fight the urge. Changing your sleep patterns can really mess up your internal clock, and can make it more difficult to fall asleep Sunday night, which will leave you groggy and unprepared for Monday morning. Your body will thank you if you continue to get up at 8 AM every morning.
• Sunday Funday: You deserve a day of fun, especially after working as hard as you did during the week! Make a day during your weekend to have fun, whether that be spending time with your family, taking a stroll around the mall, or hanging out in your garden. Take advantage of this free time to do things you normally can’t.
• Take time to meditate: When you’re stressed about deadlines and making ends meet, the last thing on your mind is getting it back in order. Not only does meditation reduce stress, but also increases happiness, acceptance, and self-esteem. Studies show that meditating at least once a week will also benefit cardiovascular and immune health.
• Dance: What better exercise and stress relief is there than dancing? Dancing kills two birds with one stone with physical benefits, as well as mental. Dancing can be done with anyone of all shapes and sizes, so there’s no excuse not to. Busting a move can help you manage your weight while improving muscular strength, endurance, and motor fitness. With this comes better social skills and greater self-confidence and self-esteem.
• Clean up the house: Get some chores out of the way while making yourself feel better. Living in a cleaner and more organized space can make you feel refreshed and ready to take on the week. In fact, a study at Indiana University found that those with a cleaner home exercised more. Having a clean home also reduces allergies, which alone will make you feel so much better. Also, who doesn’t feel good knowing they have one less chore to do?
• Take a break from the screens: No surprise here that lessening your time in front of a screen is going to make you feel better. Sitting at a desk for 40 hours a week staring at a computer screen not only puts a strain on your eyes but can cause migraines and a sore back from being hunched over. Put the laptop away and look at the outdoors to refresh your mind and body.
• Don’t indulge in too much alcohol: Having a few cocktails to loosen up from an uptight week can sound like a great idea (and isn’t a bad choice!), but with a large consumption of alcohol comes consequences. Not only can you make impaired and bad decisions while drunk, but you can also consume large amounts of calories. In fact, a Long Island Iced Tea can have up to 780 calories. That’s a full meal right there, without any nutrients! If you want to have a drink with friends, try having a Rum & Diet Coke. with only 65 calories and way less sugar.
• Socialize!: We tend to forget how crucial social interactions are with others, and sometimes we want to hide out after dealing with people all week. But think of your overall health while you’re out at Sunday brunch with your family: hanging out and talking with others can fight the risk of depression, as well as lower your risk of dementia. Since socializing improves memory and cognitive skills, it makes sense socializing helps your mental abilities.