WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A recent study published in the journal Circulation found that individuals who complete their recommended weekly exercise in just one or two days, known as 'weekend warriors,' have similar health outcomes to those who spread their workouts throughout the week.
According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and include two days of muscle-strengthening exercises each week.
The study, which involved nearly 90,000 UK residents, utilized wrist accelerometers to monitor participants' physical activity and exercise intensity over a week.
Those who achieved at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise were categorized as regular exercisers if their activities were spread out, and as weekend warriors if they concentrated most of their exercise into one or two days. Participants who logged fewer than 150 minutes weekly were classified as inactive.
The research team investigated the relationships between different exercise patterns and the occurrence of 678 health conditions across 16 disease categories, including mental health and neurological disorders. The results showed that both weekend warriors and regular exercisers faced significantly lower risks for over 200 diseases compared to inactive individuals.
The strongest connections were noted for cardiometabolic issues, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, with weekend warriors experiencing a 23% lower risk for hypertension and a 43% lower risk for diabetes, while regular exercisers had even greater reductions.
The study's findings suggest that the total amount of exercise may be more critical in lowering disease risk than how frequently it is performed. Shaan Khurshid, a cardiologist who led the study said, 'It shows that, in terms of health benefits, it's really the volume of physical activity rather than the pattern that matters. The key is, however, you are going to get that volume, do it in the way that works for you.'
He also highlighted the need for further research to determine if concentrated exercise sessions could help individuals achieve their activity goals more effectively, potentially making it easier for them to adhere to public health recommendations.
Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2024 AFX News
