It is Saturday! In your younger years this may have meant sleeping in until 10 or later and hitting a local brunch spot. As you’ve gotten older, wiser and healthier, has your Saturday morning routine also evolved? Saturday is a great chance to focus on yourself, de-stress and enjoy the little things life has to offer. Here are four steps to having a perfect Saturday morning. These will set you up for success all weekend long!

1. Coffee/Tea

Enjoy a cup of your favorite morning-time beverage. If you’re not a fan of caffeinated beverages, consider trying green tea– research shows that the high levels of antioxidants in green tea can help lower cholesterol and improve blood flow. If you do choose to enjoy your ‘cuppa joe,’ try drinking it black or with half and half and just a hint of sweetener.

Wake up slowly by engaging in a low-stress activity while drinking your morning brew. Read the paper, do a crossword or listen to the radio. Take advantage of the fact that it’s Saturday and you don’t have to rush to work.

2. Get Cooking

Why not take a little time in the kitchen to create something tasty and good for you? If you’re like a lot of people, your first meal might be grabbing a donut or skipping breakfast altogether during the work week. Cooking at home (rather than going out for breakfast or brunch) is more likely to result in better food choices and consumption of fewer calories. Take advantage of your morning off and try your hand at healthy recipes like carrot cake pancakes, a wild mushroom omelet or even this healthy spin on the egg mcmuffin breakfast sandwich.

3. Hydrate

Water is the fountain of youth: it helps clean toxins out of your body, aids digestion, boosts your immune system, and much more.

The Mayo Clinic suggests 9 cups of water (women) and 13 cups of water (men) each day. The morning hours are the perfect time to start guzzling.

By getting an adequate amount of H2O in your AM routine, you’ll be more than ready to move on and have some fun in phase four of the perfect morning.

4. Torch Some Calories

With a more open calendar, Saturdays are a perfect time to explore exercise activities you may not have time for during the week. A few ideas to get you started:

• Take a long walk or run outdoors
• Hike in a local nature area or forest
• Ride your bike to a nearby town or shop
• Mow the lawn with a push mower
• Visit a local pond or lake and rent a kayak or canoe for a couple of hours
• Check out a Pilates or yoga class at a local gym or studio
• Take some ‘me’ time to do a workout video at home
• Give your home or apartment a deep cleaning – you know, the kind that works up a sweat!

The rest of the day is yours to do with what you’d like, but with these four items under your belt you will be on track for a healthy and happy weekend!

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