Imagine this: It's Friday night. You're exhausted from a week of work. Your brain feels like sludge. Your eyes feel blurry from staring at a computer screen. So what do you do? You sleep all weekend. Eat ice cream. Binge on queso. And sit on the couch ... a lot. Monday comes and instead of feeling rested you just feel tired. That's the result of a weekend filled with sedentary behaviors. Sitting unceasingly sleeping for uber-long lengths and not getting any blood flowing won't really help revitalize your system.
Or here's another scenario. It's Saturday the day when everyone else is making plans going out and having a ton of fun--without you. That's because you're sitting at your computer desk cramming in a few more hours so you can get caught up at work. Saturday turns into Sunday and by Monday you've been moving from the desk to the couch and back again all weekend consumed by the ever-growing number of emails in your inbox.
Whether you sit at your desk all weekend lounge on the couch or do a little of both here's the thing: sedentary behaviors are okay for a little bit but not for the whole weekend. These are my favorite ways to step away from the desk and defeat sedentary behaviors on the weekend.
1. Kick your desk habit for at least one weekend day.
Sure sometimes you need to work a weekend. Someone's out on maternity leave you just got a new client you were out sick for three days. But here's my plea: avoid your desk (and your computer) for one day. Work really hard Saturday but choose to focus on non-work activities on Sunday. You'll feel that much more refreshed come Monday.
2. Get outside
While the weather's still nice get outside. After all most people spend their work days cooped up indoors. To resist the urge of plopping down on your couch working at your standing desk or taking a 4-hour-long nap get outside. Hit the trails. Lace up your running shoes. Walk by the water (if you're not landlocked like I am in Nashville). There are so many outdoor activities you can do that will help you stay active--the toughest part is getting off the couch.
3. Make plans
I understand. You don't always want your weekend to be jam-packed with plans. But you should make at least a tentative personal plan for your weekend. If you know you'll be tempted by that Will Ferrell movie marathon make plans to hit the gym when it starts. Or decide to hit up the farmer's market after one movie. Or challenge yourself to no TV-watching on Saturday. Sometimes the best way to avoid sedentary behavior is to out-plan it from your day.
Those are just a few of my favorite ways to get away from my desk (even if it is an awesome stand up desk) hop off the couch and get energized. At UpDesk we're not just committed to producing and selling quality desks and accessories; we also want you to lead a healthy lifestyle during the week and the weekend.
