5 Steps to Layering in a HEALTHY Weekend
Whatâs your weekend plan?
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Pitcher of margaritas? Pizza and wings? I know the drill! We use âcompensatory strategiesâ during the weekend to get us through or reward ourselves for a challenging week. Realize, however that MONDAY IS A POWER DAY, but only if you are smart with layering in a weekend "plan".
Hereâs howâŠ
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1) Keep Schedules Consistent â An intact sleep schedule allows your body to stay in a rhythm of healthfulness. Studies from the University of Arizona found that those who slept in during the weekend were more sluggish and fatiqued! Same goes for eating. Try to keep your weekday eating schedule to maintain the rhythm and mindset of healthfulness. Â
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2) Exercise Differently â Doing the same 'ole exercises day in and day out creates a plateau of boredom and muscle memory. Your body acclimates to the physical demands, and it becomes more efficient at performing. Use the weekend to try a new exercise routine! By exercising differently, you give your mind and body a new but beneficial challenge so you can hit Monday feeling great. Try a barre or yoga class. Layer in something new and fun.
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3) Use the 1 to 1 Rule â One meal wonât ruin your healthfulness, but one weekend will most definitely set the tone for guilt! Choose ONE MEAL OR ONE LESS HEALTHY CHOICE on each of the two weekend days. Maybe Saturday night you indulge in a drink and Sunday you choose ice cream. Or you might choose to have a less healthy meal on Saturday. Going overboard with drinks, chips, burgers, and dessert throughout the whole weekend is a recipe for disaster that is hard to confess on Monday.Â
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4) Balance Your Life â Use the weekend to layer in at least one balancing project that allows for sanity during the week. Examples include: organizing your gym bag for the week (hint: Use your Ath-Layering gear to keep your week stress free), food prepping on Sunday, organizing your bills or cleaning out the fridge. When your life is disorganized and cluttered, your diet will follow on Monday morning. This is self-sabotage! Beware...đ©
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5) Calm the Cortisol â Your stress hormone, cortisol, is heightened all week long: kids, job, exercise, laundry, groceries, COVID, politics, the news, etcâŠWith chronically high cortisol, your adrenal glands experience fatigue, insulin increases, immunity decreases, and your body is in constant âFAT STORAGE MODE!â Use the weekend to calm the cortisol with deep breathing, a warm bath, massage, mani/pedi, meditation and the like. This allows your body to begin releasing fat cells and prepares your for a calm week! Give it a try- I'm giving you permission =)
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When your weekend is focused on healthfulness, your Monday becomes even more powerful! Stay #OnTheMove