We know that exercise has numerous health benefits, but does it matter how much you spread it out? Even only working out on the weekends may still reduce some people's risk of early death, according to a new study.
Researchers were interested in how people might build physical activity into busy schedules and decided to focus on those with diabetes, for whom exercise-related benefits such as reduced insulin resistance are particularly important.
"Many people struggle to engage in regular physical activity throughout the week due to time constraints," the team from the US, China, and Australia writes in their published paper.
"To overcome this, some condense their recommended moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) into 1 or 2 weekly sessions – a pattern known as the 'weekend warrior' approach."
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The researchers crunched the numbers on 51,650 adults with diabetes, splitting them into four groups: those who did no MVPA, those who did less than the recommended 150 minutes per week, those who hit 150 minutes a week in 3 or more sessions, and those who managed 150 minutes a week in 1–2 sessions (the weekend warriors).
Any level of exercise was shown to be beneficial, but primarily for those who managed the MVPA recommendations. People who participated in 3 or more weekly sessions had a 17 percent lower risk of dying during the study period, as well as a 19 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular-related issues.
The weekend warriors fared even better: this group showed a 21 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 33 percent lower risk of cardiovascular-related mortality. So even if you only have time for a single exercise session or a couple of workouts, you can still get some of the same health benefits.
"Even those who engaged in MPVA for less than 150 minutes per week experienced lower all-cause mortality than those who didn't," writes the team.
"This underscores the importance of any physical activity for people with diabetes."
The study doesn't establish cause and effect and by its use of self-reported data to look at a snapshot in time – and in only covering people with diabetes. However, it's backed by many previous studies that show any amount of exercise can make a difference.
Most past research has agreed that the weekend warrior approach works as well as any other: as long as you're hitting those recommended targets, you get the same benefits in terms of both physical health and mental health.
That's encouraging for anyone struggling to fit in gym visits during the Monday-Friday grind, but most studies (including this latest one) define weekend warriors as those who only exercise properly 1–2 times a week, regardless of the days.
"Previous studies in the general population suggest weekend warriors may obtain comparable mortality benefits to regularly active persons, though estimates vary by population characteristics (for example, non-leisure-time physical activity)," write the researchers.
The research has been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.