For many people, work is a lot during the week and they don’t have much time to exercise. However, recent research shows that if you exercise for at least 150 minutes on the weekend, you may not need to exercise during the week.
the studyThe study, published in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, followed about 90,000 people and found that those who engaged in moderate to vigorous exercise on one or two days a week were significantly more likely to experience the same amount of exercise for one week. It was found that the cardiovascular effects were similar to those obtained through tracheal administration.
“I think it’s encouraging to say that it doesn’t really matter how you figure it out. What’s important is that you actually understand it,” he says. Dr. Shaan Khurshida cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital who led the study.
Weekend runs, bike rides, soccer games, and brisk walks all count.
“As a physician, I often have a rule of thumb of 30 minutes, five days a week,” Khurshid says. “It makes sense for certain schedules, but for someone who only has weekends free or who only has time one or two days a week, it’s very difficult to accomplish.”
The study is also good news for weekend warriors like Kathy Odds, who joins a running group on Saturdays.
“I work at a bank, so most days are pretty long, so finding a good time to exercise can be difficult,” she told CBS News. “What I love most about working out on the weekends is the social opportunity. So it’s not just my physical health that I take care of, but my mental health as well.”
Using weekend time for training can also be helpful if: the days get shorter and it gets dark early.
But other research shows that there are benefits to moving less intensely and more often, especially for people who sit a lot during their workday.
Dr. Keith Diaz, an exercise physiologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, said: previously told CBS News His research has found that taking quick walks throughout the day can greatly benefit your health.
“We found that a five-minute light walk every 30 minutes offsets much of the harm caused by sitting,” he says. Spending too much time sitting can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even some types of cancer.