By The One on One Team
Last Updated 8/15/25
Weekend Wellness Strategies: How to Stay on Track with Your Health and Fitness Goals
Weekends are a time to relax, recharge, and enjoy yourself, but they can also be a challenging time to stay on track with your health and wellness goals. For many of us, maintaining fitness and nutrition habits is more difficult on the weekend than during the week. While there are plenty of reasons for this, our experience shows that mindset is often the root of the problem.
Start with Mindset
These are our Core Beliefs. They serve as an antidote to flawed perspectives:
- We must care for ourselves before we can care for others.
- We always have choices; we are not victims.
- We can shift our mindset from one of deprivation to one of gratitude.
- We accept what we cannot control, and take ownership of what we can.
Strategies and accountability are essential for behavior change, but they only work when they're married to the right mindset.
Ask Yourself the Hard Questions
Let's start by identifying what your biggest challenge is during the weekend. Here are some of the most common challenges we hear from clients:
- Going out to dinner with friends
- Traveling or being on the road
- Managing family obligations
- Having less structure or routine
- Feeling like you've "earned" a treat or a break from your goals
Now ask yourself the following questions:
"Is it possible for me to make choices that align with my goals, even in my most challenging weekend situation?"
"How would I feel on Monday—both physically and emotionally—if I went through a whole weekend making choices that align with my goals?"
"What do I prioritize over my health on the weekends? Is that competing priority increasing or decreasing my overall happiness?"
For many, the answers to these questions come easily. Recognizing flawed perspectives can be surprisingly liberating. Now you are empowered to reject mindsets that keep you stuck in frustration and embrace mindsets that help you make in-the-moment decisions that are consistent with your goals.
Make a Commitment
Awareness is an important first step, but the real work begins when you draw a line in the sand and make an unwavering commitment to prioritize your health.
If you are ready to put this new empowerment into action, good for you! Now it's time to put strategies and accountability in place to ensure you are set up for success this weekend.
Set Yourself Up for Success
Here are some helpful strategies to stay on track:
- Start your day with exercise—whether it's a workout, run, bike ride, or hike.
- Set an exercise quota goal for the weekend to keep yourself moving and motivated. That could mean aiming for a certain number of steps or a total number of body weight exercises like squats or push-ups.
- Eat every 3–4 hours. With less structure, it's easy to skip meals, often leading to overeating later in the day.
- Make a plan for eating out. Review the menu and make your choice prior to eating out.
- Create an accountability plan. It's essential to be personally responsible for your health, but having a dedicated partner can make a big difference. Choose someone you trust, like a friend, family member, or personal trainer, and clearly share your goals and commitments with them. Check in with them on Monday to share your successes and challenges from the weekend.
You Can Own Your Weekend
Your weekend doesn't have to derail your progress.
With the right mindset, thoughtful strategies, and an accountability strategy, you can enjoy your weekend and stay aligned with your goals. The choice is yours!
