Study: 'Weekend warrior' exercise plan as effective as working out regularly

The study's lead author says if people are able to complete 150 minutes, or two and half hours of exercise over one or two days, that is sufficient for heart health.

Gillian Neff and Rose Shannon

Jul 23, 2023, 3:42 PM

Updated 438 days ago

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A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association say it may be just as beneficial to exercise only on the weekends compared to exercise several times during the week.
Researchers looked at more than 100,000 people who used monitors to track their movements over a week.
They found that both daily and weekend exercise schedules showed similar levels of heart-health benefits, including a lower risk of heart attacks, heart failure and stroke.
The study's lead author says if people are able to complete 150 minutes, or two and half hours of exercise over one or two days, that is sufficient for heart health.
Doctors say if you plan to exercise just on the weekends, make sure you are property trained and in shape.
"Weekend warriors. I get it, they want to just get in some exercise, they figure going for that run is a great way to be fit," says Alicia Hirscht, physical therapist with Orthopedic & Neurosurgery Specialists. "But you have to have a certain level of strength, fitness, mobility, flexibility in order to engage in athletic activities and not get injured."