You only have to exercise this many days a week for benefits, new study shows

Meet the expert: Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, a co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab.

What did the study find?

The study, which was published in the journal Circulation, analysed information from nearly 90,000 people in the UK who wore wrist accelerometers. The devices logged both their physical activity and the times they were active.

The researchers found that people who only worked out on the weekends (a.k.a. “weekend warriors”) and those who had more regular physical activity patterns both lowered their risk of developing 264 diseases, compared with people who were more inactive.

The links were strongest when it came to cardiometabolic conditions like hypertension and diabetes, although regular exercisers had a slight edge in each case. (Weekend warriors had a 23 per cent lower risk of developing hypertension, while regular exercisers had a 28 per cent lower risk. For diabetes, weekend warriors had a 43 percent lower risk, while regular exercisers had a 46 percent lower risk.)

‘Associations appear similar, whether physical activity follows a weekend warrior pattern or is spread more evenly throughout the week,’ the researchers concluded.

Is it better to exercise over the weekend or throughout the week?

The study didn’t determine whether one was better than the other—although, again, more consistent exercisers had a slightly lower risk of developing certain diseases. It’s just important to point out that the difference was small.

Also worth noting? The accelerometer data was only from one week, so it’s hard to know if this was the norm for these people.

Overall, the study found that aiming to hit the recommended 150 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week was best, no matter when you do it.

In general, it’s best to find a workout routine that you’ll maintain, says Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, a co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab. However, he recommends trying to keep up your fitness during the week, too, if you can.

‘The ideal state for your body is not completely sedentary during the week and then going through an epic workout over the weekend,’ he says.

However, Matheny says it can be helpful to aim to do a few shorter workouts during the week and then something bigger, like a long mountain bike ride or long run, on the weekend. ‘It’s even helpful if you just go for a walk during the week,’ he says.

If you can, Matheny suggests trying to plan out your week in advance, factoring exercise into your time. ‘You can use the weekend to back things up,’ he adds.

Should this affect my workout routine?

Not necessarily. If you have a workout routine you like and it fits your schedule well, you’re good to keep on doing just that. ‘Definitely go with what works for you and what you’ll stick with,’ Matheny says.

But if you’ve been struggling to exercise consistently throughout the week, it’s good to know that you’re still doing your health a solid if you can only work out on weekends.

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Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.