Concentrated physical activity over 1-2 days may offer the same cardiovascular protection as evenly spread exercise throughout the week.
For many individuals, finding time to exercise regularly during the workweek is a challenge.
A recent study offers hope for those who concentrate their physical activity over 1-2 days, often referred to as “weekend warriors.” This pattern of exercise appears to provide similar cardiovascular benefits as those who exercise more consistently throughout the week.
Weekend Warriors vs. Regular Exercisers
In a study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital, researchers analyzed data from the UK Biobank involving 89,573 participants who wore wrist accelerometers for a week. The researchers published their findings in the peer-reviewed academic journal JAMA (citation below).
The study identified three groups:
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Inactive People
Those who were inactive.
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Regular Exercisers
These people met physical activity recommendations through regular exercise.
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Weekend Warriors
People who concentrated their workouts within a day or two.
The results showed that both regular exercisers and weekend warriors had similar reductions in the risk of heart-related conditions, including:
- 27% and 35% lower risks of heart attacks for weekend warriors and regular exercisers, respectively.
- 38% and 36% lower risks of heart failure for the two groups.
- 22% and 19% lower risks of atrial fibrillation.
- 21% and 17% lower risks of stroke.
These findings suggest that achieving 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week—whether over two days or spread throughout the week—leads to significant heart health benefits.
Expanded Analysis of Health Outcomes
A second study, published in Circulation (citation below), looked beyond cardiovascular conditions to assess the impact of weekend warrior exercise on a broader range of diseases.
Researchers found that both weekend warriors and regular exercisers experienced reduced risks for more than 200 conditions, including cardiometabolic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.
For example:
- Weekend warriors had a 23% lower risk of developing hypertension compared to inactive individuals.
- Both weekend warriors and regular exercisers had a significantly reduced risk of diabetes and obesity, with weekend warriors showing a 43% lower risk of diabetes and a 45% lower risk of obesity.
Implications for Public Health
These studies indicate that even if individuals are unable to spread their physical activity evenly throughout the week, concentrating it into 1-2 days can still provide substantial health benefits.
This is particularly relevant for those with busy work schedules or other commitments that limit daily exercise opportunities; in other words, for people who find it hard to achieve an ideal work-life balance.
Patrick T. Ellinor, MD, PhD, Acting Chief of Cardiology and the Co-Director of the Corrigan Minehan Heart Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, emphasizes that increasing physical activity—even if limited to weekends—can have a profound impact on cardiovascular outcomes.
Weekend Warriors – Final Thoughts
The “weekend warrior” exercise pattern offers a viable alternative to more regular exercise schedules, showing significant benefits for heart health and the prevention of various diseases.
Whether spread across the week or concentrated into a couple of days, the key takeaway is to meet the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity each week.
Citations
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For the article from JAMA
Khurshid, S., Al-Alusi, M. A., Churchill, T. W., Guseh, J. S., Ellinor, P. T., & Lubitz, S. A. (2023). Accelerometer-Derived “Weekend Warrior” Physical Activity and Incident Cardiovascular Disease. JAMA, 330(3), 247-252. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.10875
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For the article from Circulation
Kany, S., Al-Alusi, M. A., Rämö, J. T., Pirruccello, J. P., Churchill, T. W., Lubitz, S. A., Maddah, M., Guseh, J. S., Ellinor, P. T., & Khurshid, S. (2024). Associations of “Weekend Warrior” Physical Activity With Incident Disease and Cardiometabolic Health. Circulation. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.068669