Tips For a Healthy Weekend
By Sara Butler
When quitting time on Friday rolls around it can be tempting to take off to happy hour or pick up a quick and easy, cheesy pizza for dinner. Then you spend Saturday sleeping in or getting the kids to soccer practice, leaving no time for exercise or maybe even eat sensibly. On Sunday, you spend the day vegging out to relax before the hectic week starts all over again. Does this sound familiar? If so, you need help keeping your weekends on track in order to stay healthy. Here are a few tips on how to do it!
Happy Hour
You can go out and socialize on the weekend with a few drinks if that’s your thing, but it’s important to remember that alcohol is very high in calories. Try to choose drinks that don’t pack as many calories such as white wine, soda water, liquor, or champagne. Between drinks, have a full glass of water too. And stay away from bar snacks, which tend to be very unhealthy. Instead, have a sensible dinner before going out.
Move More
If it’s feasible, get your weekend errands and exercise done all at once by riding your bike! If you don’t have a bike, then employ a few of these tricks to help you work more movement into your weekend:
- Park a good walking distance from entrances
- Take the stairs
- Go the long way when walking around the store
- Skip snacks
If you’re heading to the movies to take in the latest blockbuster, you can stay on a healthy track by forgetting the snacks. If you’re watching a movie at home, prepare small snacks that are healthy rather than eating right from the container or bag. Pre-portion them ahead of time so you don’t have to take the time during your show.
Sleep Well
Many people look at weekends as a time to catch up on sleep, but you won’t be doing yourself any favors by sleeping in. In fact, it’s likely to mess with your sleeping schedule for the rest of the week. Instead, you should go to bed and wake up at about the same time very day, no matter what day it is. The great thing about the weekends is you don’t have to get up and get going right away, you can lounge around. That’s fine – just as long as you’re doing it awake!
Don’t let your weekends derail the healthy habits you work so hard on all week. Keep these tips in mind to help you stay on track.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Monroe, La.