Hope for busy office workers who are largely sedentary in the week as UK Biobank study of 93,000 Brits shows that cramming exercise into the weekend is just as good for us
“Weekend warriors” who cram all of their exercise in over the weekend are less likely to die young. The study on 93,000 Brits gives sedentary office workers hope as those doing their exercise during just a couple of days appear to get the same health benefits as those who are active all week.
The analysis of medical and lifestyle data looked at the impact of when people did their recommended 150 minutes of exercise. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, are based on participants in the UK Biobank project aged 37 to 73 who wore wrist accelerometers to track their physical activity. The devices captured everything from walking to jogging, stationary cycling, household chores, gardening and leisure activities such as dancing.
People who condensed physical activity into one or two days had a “significantly” lower risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, similar to those who engaged in activity throughout the week.
Author Professor Zhi-Hao Li, an epidemiologist in the School of Public Health at Southern Medical University, China, said: “You don’t need to exercise every day to stay healthy. As long as you get 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week – whether packed into one to two days or spread out – you can significantly reduce your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, cancer or other causes.
“This message is encouraging news for busy people who struggle to fit in daily workouts but can manage a concentrated burst of activity on weekends or over a couple of days. The research provides reassuring evidence that even sporadic physical activity can have lasting health benefits, making it easier for people to prioritize their well-being amid busy schedules.”
The NHS recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week to keep healthy, with even one or two sessions a week reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. As a rule of thumb, the border between moderate and vigorous exercise is when it becomes too difficult to finish spoken sentences while exercising.
In the study 42% of participants were classified as “weekend warriors”, around 24% as regularly active, those who spread their activity throughout the week; and nearly 34% as “inactive” – those who did not complete the recommended minimum of 150 minutes of weekly physical activity.
For weekend warriors, the risk of death from all causes was 32% lower; the risk of death from cardiovascular disease was 31% lower; and the risk of death from cancer was 21% lower.
Among participants in the regularly active regular group, the risk of death from all causes was 26% lower; the risk of death from cardiovascular disease was 24% lower; and the risk of death from cancer was 13% lower.
Prof Li said: “This reinforces the idea that meeting the 150-minutes of physical activity per week guideline is key to longevity, regardless of the activity pattern. Any activity – whether structured exercise such as jogging or daily tasks such as gardening – can be included if the intensity is moderate to vigorous.”
Prof Keith Diaz, of Columbia University Medical Centre in New York, said: “Many people struggle to fit in daily exercise during the workweek. However, this research shows that even if you can only be active on the weekends, you can still gain meaningful health benefits.
“One important caveat to remember is that trying to fit 150 minutes of exercise into just one or two days can be a lot on your body. Some research suggests that weekend warriors have a slightly higher risk of musculoskeletal injuries compared to those who exercise more regularly.
“However, the benefits of exercising just on the weekend far outweigh the potential risks. If you are going to be a weekend warrior, make sure you do proper warm-ups and build up and progress to higher volumes of activity over time. This will help to reduce your risk of injuries.”