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New research shows benefits of one or two days a week of concentrated physical activity.
Weekend warriors rejoice. Formerly, experts viewed weekend only training as less valuable than consistent exercise throughout the week. Harvard Medical School researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital recently found that a “weekend warrior” training pattern is equally effective at reducing disease risks. Data analysis of 89,573 British adult participants shows what matters most is reaching the recommended volume of physical activity weekly.
“Here, we show the potential benefits of weekend warrior activity for the risk not only of cardiovascular diseases, as we’ve shown in the past, but also future diseases spanning the whole spectrum, ranging from conditions like chronic kidney disease to mood disorders and beyond,” says study author Shaan Khurshid, MD MPH, assistant professor at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Because there appears to be similar benefits for weekend warrior activity versus regular activity, it may be the total volume of activity, rather than the pattern, that matters most,” says Khurshid.
The study is available in the journal of the American Heart Association, Circulation (2024).
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
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