New research reveals that weekend warriors, individuals who exercise intensively on one or two days per week, enjoy similar health benefits to those who exercise daily. The key factor determining these benefits is the total volume of exercise undertaken, rather than the specific exercise pattern followed. Previous studies have also highlighted that weekend warriors can achieve comparable heart and brain health benefits as daily exercisers.
Experts emphasize that meeting the minimum exercise guidelines is more important than the frequency of exercise sessions. The recommended amount of physical activity for adults is at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. While the traditional advice is to spread this activity throughout the week, the approach of weekend warriors who concentrate their exercise into one or two days challenges this notion.
Recent research, including a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), supports the notion that both weekend warriors and regular exercisers can experience lower risks of death from all causes, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. This study, which analyzed data from over 93,000 participants in the UK Biobank, found that weekend warriors had a 26% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to physically inactive individuals.
The study used wearable fitness trackers to capture participants’ physical activity data, ensuring more accurate measurements than self-reporting. Machine learning algorithms were employed to classify various physical activities, enabling researchers to categorize participants based on their exercise patterns. These findings provide strong evidence in favor of the weekend warrior exercise regimen, suggesting that the overall volume of exercise is the primary determinant of health benefits.
Throughout the week, there are different types of physical activity levels observed. “Weekend warriors” are individuals who achieve the minimum recommended 150 minutes of physical activity in just one or two days, while “inactive” individuals do not meet this guideline. Over a span of approximately eight years, both active groups showed significantly lower mortality risk compared to sedentary participants.
Keith Diaz, PhD, an associate professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Medical Center and a member of the AHA’s Physical Activity Science Committee, emphasized the importance of all movement for overall health. He stated that even if someone can only be active on weekends, they can still experience significant health benefits.
In terms of mortality risk, individuals who exercised throughout the week had a lower risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer compared to the inactive group. Surprisingly, the weekend warrior group showed even greater protective benefits, with significantly lower risks of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
The study revealed that neither approach (exercising throughout the week or being a weekend warrior) was superior to the other in terms of mortality risk. The key takeaway is to find a physical activity routine that fits your lifestyle and meets the recommended guidelines.
For those interested in becoming weekend warriors, different forms of physical activity can be enjoyable and beneficial. Some examples include long walks, leisurely bike rides, hiking, yard work, gardening, running, playing sports, or joining fitness classes. Consistency is essential for maintaining an exercise routine, and having social connections can be a strong motivator for staying active.
