Why a three-day weekend lifestyle can make you a much healthier person
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A new study has found that three-day weekends can support more daily movement, less time sitting, and more sleep.
What if manic Mondays were a thing of the past?
The idea of shorter work-weeks has slowly gained global traction for positive work-life balance purposes, with longer-weekend trials set to take place in countries around the world. Now, more research has emerged in favour of the new model: improved health.
A new study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity has found that three-day weekends can support increased daily movement, less time sitting, and improved sleep.
While holiday time in general proved to be beneficial for people’s health, the research emphasized the positive results following even just one extra day off each week.
“When people go on holiday, they’re changing their everyday responsibilities because they’re not locked down to their normal schedule,” Ty Ferguson, researcher at the University of South Australia, said in a press release. “In this study, we found that movement patterns changed for the better when on holiday, with increased physical activity and decreased sedentary behaviour observed across the board."
The University of South Australia tracked data of 308 adults wearing fitness trackers as part of the "Annual rhythms in adults’ lifestyle and health (ARIA)" study.
After 13 months, a time period when the average person took two to three holidays for about 12 days long each, the data was in: 35 per cent of people took holidays for outdoor recreation, 31 per cent were for family events and social gatherings, and 17 per cent of holidays were for relaxation.
