DESPITE LOUD (AND annoying) cries from ‘team do days off’, new research suggests you don’t need to be working out every day to reap the rewards. In fact, cramming all of your exercise into one or two sessions – you know, the weekend warrior approach – could be just as effective as spreading it out, especially when it comes to the major health benefits of exercise.
Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the study tracked over 93,000 UK adults using wrist-worn accelerometers – a more objective method than self-reports, which have been the mainstay of previous studies. Over eight years, researchers compared three groups:
- Inactive individuals
- Those who exercised regularly throughout the week
- Weekend warriors who hit 150+ minutes of moderate to vigorous activity across just one or two days (this includes any activities that noticeably increase heart rate and breathing, right up to high-effort tasks that cause you to breathe hard and sweat).
The results? Compared to inactive participants, weekend warriors had a 32% lower risk of death from all causes, a 31% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, and a 21% lower risk of cancer-related death. Those who spread their workouts through the week fared similarly, with a 26% reduction in all-cause mortality, 24% in cardiovascular deaths, and 13% in cancer. The researchers concluded that the differences in health outcomes between the weekend warriors and their weekday spread counterparts were not statistically significant.
The key takeaway: when it comes to health it’s the total weekly dose of exercise that matters most – not how it’s spread out.
“Even sporadic physical activity can have lasting health benefits,” said Dr Zhi-Hao Li, lead author of the study.
Are you going to become champion bodybuilder, olympian or powerlifter training for just 150 minutes each week? Probably not. But as far as consolation prizes go: living longer, drastically lowering your risk of multiple diseases, and having a level of fitness that enables you to move through life with more ease are pretty good ones.
The science is clear, giving up on exercise altogether because you can’t pursue the ‘perfect programme’ is a bad idea, with even worse consequence. If weekends are your only window for movement, all you need to do is make them count.
How to train like a weekend warrior
The results of this study may indicate that all movement is good movement – and we’d agree – but there’s plenty more research to indicate that the type of movement that builds muscle is the secret sauce to living a longer, better life.
Our 2-day-a-week Workout Plan for Strength and Size is specially designed to help you build maximum muscle, in minimum time, with a progressive schedule to keep you getting fitter and faster for the long haul.
If you want to supercharge your results, combine the plan with brisk walks wherever you can – carrying a heavy load for bonus points – and wherever possible, try to take the path of most resistance – think more stairs, more steps, more carrying. An active lifestyle is practically a cheat code to a healthier body and mind. Incorporate these tips and you’ll hit your 150 minutes before you know it.
If you don’t want to follow a structured programme, and prefer to play and experiment, the following workouts are the perfect weekend gym-spiration, however long you’ve got, and whatever kit you have. Remember, it all adds up.
This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.
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