Cramming exercise on the weekend may be even better for you

Are you a weekend warrior who crams all their exercise into the weekend? It might be as good for you as if you’d done it all week.

Cramming a week of exercise into one or two days may be as good for you as smaller doses spread more evenly.

Researchers found that “weekend warriors” who logged at least 150 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity over a couple of days a week were about 30 per cent less likely to die early of cardiovascular disease and 20 per cent less likely to succumb to cancer compared with less active peers.

They also appeared to be less vulnerable to those diseases than people who reached the 150-minute threshold through more frequent sessions.

Zhi-Hao Li of Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China, who led the study, said 150 minutes of physical activity each week, whether packed into a weekend or spread out, could “significantly reduce” the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer or other causes.

The research looked at more than 93,000 UK adults aged 37 to 73. The data was collected with devices that measured movement.

Brisk walking or mowing a lawn counted as moderate exercise while vigorous activities included running and swimming.

You can still be proud if you cram all your exercise into a weekend.

The participants were divided into three groups: “weekend warriors” who completed most of their exercise in one or two days; “active regulars” who also logged at least 150 minutes but spread their activity throughout the week; and “inactives” who did not complete 150 minutes of weekly physical activity.

Compared with the inactive group, the weekend warriors had a 32 per cent lower risk of death from all causes. Their risk of death from cardiovascular disease was 31 per cent lower and the risk of death from cancer was 21 per cent lower.

The “active regulars” group got less benefit. The risk of death from all causes was 26 per cent lower while the risk of dying of cardiovascular disease fell by 24 per cent and the risk of death from cancer was 13 per cent lower. The findings, published by the American Heart Association, surprised the research team, who had expected it to be better to spread activity throughout the week.

Are you a weekend warrior? Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

“Meeting the 150 minutes of physical activity per week guideline is key to longevity, regardless of the activity pattern,” Li said. “Any activity – whether structured exercise such as jogging or daily tasks such as gardening – can be included if the intensity is moderate to vigorous.”

Keith Diaz of Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York, who was not involved in the research, said that many people struggled to exercise daily but that the research “shows that even if you can only be active on the weekends, you can still gain meaningful health benefits”.

He added: “One important caveat to remember is that trying to fit 150 minutes of exercise into just one or two days can be a lot on your body. Some research suggests weekend warriors have a slightly higher risk of musculoskeletal injuries compared with those who exercise regularly.

“However, the benefits of exercising just on the weekend far outweigh the potential risks. If you are going to be a weekend warrior, make sure you do proper warm-ups and build up and progress to higher volumes of activity over time.”

This article originally appeared on The Times.

Originally published as Cramming exercise on the weekend may be even better for you