The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 30 minutes of daily moderate-intensity physical activity five times a week, or 25 minutes a day of intense physical activity three times a week.
However, between work commitments, household chores and personal obligations, it’s not always easy to find time to exercise during the week. Some people, therefore, choose to do it only on the weekend, earning themselves the nickname “weekend warriors”.
But is this really an effective strategy? To answer this, researchers in China examined data from the vast UK Biobank cohort which tracked, over an eight-year period, the sporting habits of more than 75,000 people, classifying them into three groups according to their level of physical activity.
These were “regularly active” individuals, who did more than 150 minutes of moderate-to-intense exercise throughout the week; “weekend warriors”, who met the guidelines by doing more than 50% of their exercise on one or two days; and “inactive” individuals.
In their paper, published in the journal Nature Aging and reported on The Conversation website, the researchers claim that exercise has many benefits, even if you only do it on weekends.
In fact, weekend warriors are apparently far less likely than inactive individuals to develop certain non-communicable diseases. They are also 26% less likely to suffer from dementia, 21% less likely to have a stroke, and 45% less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
As for psychological disorders, they are less likely to suffer from depression (40%) and anxiety (37%). All these figures are comparable to those observed among people who are active throughout the week.
While most weekend warriors exercise on Saturdays and Sundays, the scientists noted that some worked out in patterns that helped them meet WHO recommendations at other times of the week, allowing them to reap the same physical and mental benefits.
As such, there is every reason to believe that physical activity is good for your health even if it is concentrated on just one or two days of the week.
Like any study, this research has its limitations. For example, the scientists were unable to assess the impact of variations in exercise habits over time, or completely eliminate the influence of other lifestyle factors.
Still, this research adds to a growing body of scientific literature demonstrating the virtues of exercise. So, whether you enjoy a daily workout or you’re more of a weekend warrior, the most important thing is to engage in regular physical activity to combat the many adverse effects of a sedentary lifestyle.