Only Work Out On The Weekend? We Have Good News

Physical activity is undeniably good for you.

According to the NHS, exercise can “reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer, and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%”.

But questions about when, how, where, and to what extent we should move our bodies to get the most out of our workouts can be harder to answer. 

Fortunately, researchers published a paper last month that suggests “weekend warriors” ― people who don’t hit the gym or don running shoes on weekdays but might go for a lengthy bike ride or take on a 10k on the weekend ― might have something to teach us all. 

The benefits of exercise “appear similar whether physical activity follows a weekend warrior pattern or is spread more evenly throughout the week,” they say.

So... how hard do I need to go on the weekend to make up for a sedentary week?

The NHS recommends most adults try to do 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of more vigorous activity (where you’d struggle to hold a conversation) a week. 

The study looked at the health patterns of 89,573 UK Biobank volunteers. The UK Biobank describes itself as “a large-scale biomedical database and research resource”. 

The volunteers wore a fitness tracker for a week as a part of the project. 

Scientists noted the health status of people who completed 150 minutes of activity or more a week evenly throughout the period, those who completed that amount of exercise predominantly over the weekend, and people who didn’t hit the 150-minute mark at all. 

They found that while those in the last camp, who were considered “inactive,” were more at risk of developing roughly 200 diseases than their “active” counterparts, there was little difference between the health benefits of weekend and week-long “active” participants. 

“It’s really the volume of physical activity rather than the pattern that matters,” the study’s lead author, cardiologist Dr Shaan Khurshid, told The Guardian.

How can I hit the 150-minute mark?

Dr Khurshid said: “The key is, however you are going to get that volume, do it in the way that works for you.”

It may also help to rethink your definition of “activity”. It doesn’t have to involve dumbbells or sweating ― pushing a lawnmower, dancing,and plain ol’ walking all count as “moderate activity”. 

Carrying heavy shopping bags, pushing a wheelchair or pram, digging in your back garden and even carrying children are “examples of muscle-strengthening activities,” the NHS adds.

Working activity into your existing routine rather than setting time aside for a strictly defined “workout” may work better for those already low on time.

The NHS also advises against sitting for too long, so breaking up seated periods at work may help too.