Most of us are able to follow a good set schedule when it comes to weekdays, knowing exactly what time you need to get up to fit a treadmill run before you need to get ready for work. You have your set meal times and are able to plan your meals more accordingly. Yet what about when it comes to the weekends? I know for me my schedule usually goes out the window.
You would think having the days off we are able to have more time to fit in that workout, yet with the lack of structure that workout time often gets thrown under the rug and put off till it eventually becomes nonexistent. We end up staying up later, knowing we don’t have to wake up for work the next day, so that leads to us sleeping in longer and then trying to fit in all of our weekly errands into these two days, while also trying to get any sort of break from your mundane work week.
This is when our workouts usually get forgotten and by the end of the day, it’s the last thing we want to do. While yes taking a rest day is necessary and can be good for us, this falling into a pattern of skipping workouts every weekend combined with the usual weekend dinner parties or going out on the town can not only throw you off your workout mojo, but slow your progress as well.
Here are Some Weekend-Proof Tips to Fitting in Your Workout from SparkPeople.com, be sure to check out the article to read all 7 tips, these are just a few of our favorites:
Make housework a workout. Most of us try to fit in the majority of our chores in over the weekend, so if you’re short on time, try combining your housework into a workout. You can do lunges or squats while emptying the dishwasher, take each item up or down the stairs individually, or simply increase your speed and intensity when doing “more physical chores like vacuuming, scrubbing the bathtub, mopping the floors, mowing the grass or washing the windows.”- Turn workout time into play time. Your weekend workouts don’t have to involve your usual treadmill runs or strength training moves. SparkPeople explains how “the weekend is the perfect time to take your workout outdoors for a hike, a boot-camp at the park, a bike ride at a nearby trail or even a session of skiing (on water or snow, depending on your climate). If the weather in your area is less than ideal, why not gather some buds for an indoor basketball game, a workout DVD” or you can even find plenty of no-equipment needed circuit workouts online that can be done indoors, try this At Home Circuit Workout we’ve shared in the past.
- Grab a Workout Partner. We all know many of us like to schedule family and friend time in our weekends, so why not kill two birds with one stone and fit in some bonding time while working out. You can take the above suggestions and get the family out for a hike or the friends out for a basketball game or new fitness class to all try out together. You can turn your typical weekend movie date night into a workout by doing something more active such as bowling, mini golf, or even tennis. Why it may not be much, getting up and moving at all is going to burn more calories than just sitting in front of that television.
- Stick to Your Usual Sleep Schedule. Many of us get up early on the week days for work and then use the weekends to sleep in, yet this is only going to throw you off your sleep cylce come Monday and in the end do you no good. Instead stick to your usual weekday sleep schedule and instead fit in that workout first thing. This way you get that workout over before any other weekend errands get in your way, and you also stick to your sleep schedule so you won’t feel as groggy come Monday morning!
- Try Something New. As we mentioned above with taking a new fitness class, you can also do this alone on the weekends if you prefer. Many facilities know people work weekdays and offer many fitness classes on Saturday mornings. It’s a great motivator having something new to look froward to, and can help prevent boredom with your usual weekday exercises.
Use these tips this coming weekend to help you stay on track with your workout regimen and get you started on those New Year’s Resolutions!