- Those who exercise on the weekend can get the same health benefits as those who do it regularly if they put in the right amount of time, new research suggests
- Time required: 75 minutes of vigorous activity or 150 minutes of moderate activity over one or two days each week.
- “Weekend warriors” had the same reduced risk of death as those who exercise the same amount of time over 3-5 days a week.
Just because you don’t exercise regularly during the week doesn’t mean you can’t make it up on the weekend.
The World Health Organization offers guidelines for physical activity, suggesting adults get at least 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity or 150 minutes of moderate activity each week. While experts have suggested people spread regular exercise throughout the week, that’s not always feasible for everyone.
An international team of researchers analyzed the exercise routines and health of more than 350,000 U.S. adults who participated in the National Health Interview Survey from 1997-2013 to see what could be learned about different approaches to physical activity.
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Health benefits of weekend exercise
Over the years study subjects were followed – each were tracked an average of 10 years – those who achieved a total of 75 minutes of vigorous activity or 150 minutes of moderate activity over one or two days each week had:
►An…
