4 ways to be more active on the weekends

The weekend has become a time of errands, shopping and finishing up work we didn't get to during the week, often leaving little time for family, fun or adventure. Here are four ways to help squeeze in more weekend activity.

Jot activities down in a notebook this weekend to determine the scope of your hassles. Then, on Sunday night, take stock of the weekend that passed you by.

• Where did you spend your time? How can you cut back on those activities to make time for fun and fitness?
• You'll probably find that working, shopping, cleaning, cooking and driving are dominating your weekend.

After you document what's eating up your time, it gets easier to come up with a solution.

There's no need to wait until the weekend to go to the supermarket, clean the house or mow the lawn.

• Make, say, Tuesday and Thursday evenings your "weekend duty" evenings and get the housework out of the way then rather than sitting in front of the TV.
• That way, you'll have free days to do as you wish on the weekend.

Start by getting the weather forecast. Next, detail your must-do stuff, such as walking Fido in the dog park or taking your child to a class. Then, be creative and bold.

• Fill in the blank spaces with interesting and new activities.
• Get on the phone to make reservations and call friends or family to arrange get-togethers.

Too many of us enter the weekend without solid plans, which is why we end up watching TV.

A good way to reclaim your weekend from your work is to get up an hour earlier than normal and start any unfinished work-related tasks.

• Simply set the alarm for two to three hours, stay focused and when the alarm rings, turn off the computer.

The rest of the weekend is yours – with no guilt.

For too many of us our spirit of adventure and time with family is squashed by too much to do on weekends. With these tips you can help reclaim your weekends and squeeze in more time for what matters most: family, friends and fun.