‘Weekend Warriors’ Get Same Benefits as Those Who Exercise Daily, New Study Finds

Mar. 15, 2025

People working out with rowing machines (stock image).Photo: Getty

Those who are “weekend warriors” and get in their exercise in just a couple of days are still getting the same benefits as those who exercise daily, according to a new study.

The study — published on Sept. 26 in the journalCirculation— analyzed nearly 90,000 people in the United Kingdom who wore an accelerometer to track their exercise patterns for a week.

Those who did fewer than 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week were classified as inactive. Regular exercisers completed 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity spread evenly throughout the week. Weekend warriors did the same, but their 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity was crammed into just one or two days.

TheWorld Health Organizationrecommends “at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.”

Researchers found that in the years after wearing the monitors, weekend warriors had a lower risk of 264 medical conditions compared with those classified as inactive. Regular exercisers had similar results. The strongest associations were for cardiometabolic conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, obesity and sleep apnea.

Two people running (stock image).Getty

Getty

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“I think this is empowering,” said study author Dr. Shaan Khurshid, cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, perThe Guardian. “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.”

“For people seeking to incorporate a more active lifestyle, these findings offer encouraging insights,” Dr. Rigved Tadwalkar — a cardiologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., who was not involved in the study — toldMedical News Today.

source: people.com