Five-Tip Friday: Planning Exercise for the Weekend

The weekend's almost here, finally! You've had a busy five days, and maybe little time to work in exercise. Now that the weekend is upon us, you may have some free time to look forward to. How will you use it? Are you just going to while away more than 48 hours off, lazing in front of the tv? I hope not! Here are some ways you can get in a couple of hours of exercise and feel good about how you've used your time when you start back to the work week on Monday:

1. Consider starting your weekend exercising after work on Friday. What a great way to work off some of the week's stress and get an extra hour of exercise in. Maybe you can find a class at your gym that's offered Friday evening, or maybe your family will join you for a bike ride.
2. Find some exercise buddies. Any activity can be more fun when you're doing it with people whose company you enjoy. Walking, hiking, horseback riding, or jogging can all be done while having an enlightening conversation with friends. Invite some neighbors to join you and set up a time now--you'll be more likely to follow through with it then.
3. Find a local activity in your newspaper. There may be all kinds of group activities going on that are specially scheduled each weekend. Maybe a 10K run or a fundraising walk for a medical charity. Many times there aren't rules about whether you walk or run the route, or even rollerblade it! You can feel good about working out and contributing to a cause at the same time.
4. Check out local community programs Your community may offer some programs in swimming, adult dodge ball, softball, or other leagues. Remember how much fun you had doing these activities when you were a kid? There's still fun to be had!
5. Try a new activity Is there something you've been thinking about trying? Yoga, kickboxing, or ballroom dancing? Find a studio near you and sign up for some weekend classes. You'll be doing something you look forward to and doing your body a favor by staying active!

Please, post here to let us know what you've tried and how you enjoy your active weekends!