Devotion to a job might just be unhealthy for workers.

Whether it’s a three-day weekend or a month’s vacation in Europe, spending time doing anything but work might be a boon to health. That’s according to a team of researchers at the University of South Australia.

Turns out, we’re more active and live a healthier life when we’re away from the daily grind. Oh, let us count the ways.

On time off we’re more physically engaged. We ride our bikes. We hike. We walk the pooches. We tour historic places on foot. Some of us climb mountains or stretch our muscles with yard work during a staycation.

Researchers say we sleep more and sit less, a sedentary behavior known to sap health. After all, you don’t take a family trip to Yellowstone National Park so you can watch TV.

All the extra sleep also helps mental health. Scientists say it improves mood and cognitive function, and reduces stress. Avoiding stress also benefits physical health, too.

Investigators over the course of 13 months tracked more than 300 volunteers with an average age of 40 to see how time off affected them.

These folks did 13% more moderate-to-vigorous exercise during time off. They also slept an extra 21 minutes per day.

The longer the vacation, researchers noticed, the greater the benefit.

Yet, even short breaks made a difference. The study provides evidence of the advantage of a four-day work week, which is increasingly popular around the world. These employees report less stress, burnout and fatigue.

So, take an extra day for yourself. The health benefits of that time off just might extend beyond a three-day weekend.