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11 ways to a healthier weekend

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Weekends are busy times – if you work the whole week, there isn't much time to wind down between doing household chores, going shopping and paying bills. So who's got time to worry about doing healthy things?

The good news is that there are fun things to do that happen to be healthy as well.

Get the ball rolling. A good game of tennis, squash, even bowls, will get your circulation going and you'll get to socialise with friends as well. Get a friend to join you.

Have a fish braai. Fish is generally so much healthier than red meat. Get a few friends together, make a few salads and braai some fresh fish. If you live in Cape Town, you can always make a day of it and go and buy your own at Hout Bay or Kalk Bay.

One foot in front of the other. No matter where in South Africa you live, every town or city has pleasant walks in the surrounding area. Whether you're looking at rolling hills, forests, the sea, the mountain or even a sand dune or two, get a friend and go for a nice long walk.

Catch up on sleep. If you still feel tired every morning the alarm clock goes off, you need to sleep in one morning until you wake up by yourself. Even if you have children and pets, try and pass them onto willing relatives for one morning. After all, what are grannies for?

Get to the movies. There is a good reason why certain medical aid members get half price movie tickets – it is a good way of relaxing. And let's face it, R25 –30 is not bad for over two hours of entertainment.

Get those dancing shoes on. Dancing is not only fun, it's also jolly good exercise. Unless it happens in a smoke-filled venue and you have seven beers in two hours. Drink water when you get thirsty, rather than alcohol, which actually dehydrates you.

Exercise your mind. Mental stimulation is good for you – read a good book, watch that video you've been meaning to, or get yourself to the museum or the art gallery or the theatre.

Tackle the garden. Does your garden need a helping hand? Gardening is not only good exercise, it gets you into the outdoors, gets fresh air into your lungs and makes you feel virtuous. Not to speak of making your garden look beautiful.

Go on a date. That is, if you're not married, in which case, take your spouse on a date. Get out and about - if you're single, your ideal partner is not going to come and knock on your door while you're lying in front of the TV. You have to make an effort.

Limit your drinking. A drink or two should be fine, but who wants to spend the weekend recovering from a vicious hangover? Too much alcohol poisons your system and leaves you with little energy to do exciting things over the weekend.

Go the fruit route. Make a huge fruit salad for the family, or even better, go on a fruit cleansing diet for a day.

(Photo of woman playing tennis from Shutterstock)

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