Doctors and scientists agree: everyone needs a three-day weekend 2023

This year, one of the world’s largest trials of a four-day workweek demonstrated that it increases employee and employer productivity. The 4 Day Week Global study conducted in over 60 British companies revealed that absenteeism and the number of employees quitting decreased significantly when a four-day work week was implemented. Importantly, “significant” improvements in physical and mental health, as well as overall life and job satisfaction, were observed.

Now, a new study has confirmed that additional time off is beneficial to health. According to a university press release, health researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) are “all in” when it comes to an extended weekend. In an empirical study, the researchers compared changes in daily movements before and after a three-day break and discovered that individuals were more active and exhibited healthier behaviors after the break.

A three-day sabbatical made people more active and healthier, according to research.

This study utilized data from the Annual Rhythms in Adults’ Lifestyle and Health (ARIA) study, in which 308 adults aged approximately 40 years donned fitness monitors for 13 months, 24 hours per day.

While on vacation, individuals engaged in 13% more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily, were less sedentary, and slept more.

Dr. Ty Ferguson, a researcher at UniSA, said in a statement, “When people go on vacation, their daily responsibilities change because they are not bound to their normal schedule.” The study also discovered that movement patterns improved during vacations, with increased physical activity and decreased sedentary behavior.

In addition, people slept 21 minutes longer, which can have a positive effect on mental health, enhance mood, cognitive function, and productivity. “It can also reduce the risk of developing a variety of health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression,” Ferguson said.

In addition, the magnitude of these changes increased proportionally with the duration of the holiday, indicating that the longer the vacation, the greater the health benefits.