Research shows that the total amount of physical activity matters more than how often it's done For those with busy work schedules, there’s encouraging news:
Squeezing the recommended amount of exercise into just the weekend can still provide significant health benefits, according to new research.A study involving nearly 90,000 participants from the UK Biobank project found that “weekend warriors”—those who condense their weekly exercise into one or two days—experienced a lower risk of developing over 200 health conditions compared to those who were inactive.
Researchers tracked participants' health over several years, observing that those who followed a weekend-focused exercise routine showed reduced risks across various illnesses, including hypertension, diabetes, mood disorders, and kidney disease.The study found that these more concentrated bursts of exercise were just as effective at lowering the risk of future diseases as spreading exercise sessions evenly throughout the week.
This suggests that the total volume of exercise is more important than how frequently it is performed.“This is empowering,” said Dr. Shaan Khurshid, a cardiologist from Massachusetts General Hospital, who led the study. “It demonstrates that the health benefits come from the total amount of physical activity, regardless of how it's distributed.
The key is to get that volume of exercise in a way that works best for you.”The NHS recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week to maintain health. Even just one or two exercise sessions weekly can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. A good way to gauge the intensity of your workout is by how hard it becomes to speak in full sentences.
In their findings, published in the journal Circulation, the researchers analyzed health records of 89,573 participants who had worn wrist monitors to track their physical activity over the course of a week.
They divided the participants into three groups: regular exercisers who spread out their physical activity, “weekend warriors” who concentrated it into one or two days, and inactive individuals who did less than 150 minutes of exercise a week.Years later, weekend warriors had a lower risk of developing 264 medical conditions compared to inactive participants, with regular exercisers showing similar benefits.
Cardiometabolic disorders like hypertension and diabetes saw the most significant reductions, with weekend warriors and regular exercisers having over 20% lower risk of hypertension and more than 40% lower risk of diabetes compared to inactive people.These results align with earlier studies.
In 2017, Gary O’Donovan, a physical activity researcher, found that both weekend warriors and regular exercisers who met activity targets had a lower risk of death from cancer or cardiovascular disease compared to sedentary individuals.
A 2022 study reaffirmed these findings.One lingering question with observational studies like this is whether exercise directly prevents disease or if healthier individuals, already at lower risk, simply tend to exercise more. The researchers in this study attempted to address this by excluding participants who developed medical conditions within two years of the monitoring period.
Further research is needed to determine whether concentrated exercise routines could help more people meet physical activity guidelines. “This approach might be more convenient for some, possibly increasing adherence to public health recommendations,” Khurshid said.
Dr. Leandro Rezende, a preventive medicine expert who led the 2022 study, added: “These findings confirm that the total volume of exercise is what matters most, regardless of how often it’s done. This is great news for those who struggle to find time during the week. However, for those already meeting guidelines, increasing exercise frequency could enhance the total volume and lead to even greater health benefits.”
#Fitness #DrLeandroRezende #GaryO’Donovan,a
#DrShaanKhurshid
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