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Is the weekend warrior lifestyle enough to protect your heart? Study weighs in

All gain, no weekday pain? Here’s what being a weekend warrior can do for your heart

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If you’re someone who has busy weeks and fits your exercise into the weekend, you might be wondering if you’re doing enough to enhance your fitness. Is the weekend warrior lifestyle sufficient to get the health benefits that come along with exercise? Is it enough to protect your heart?

Researchers have concluded that remaining moderately active for at least three minutes on a regular basis can lower your likelihood of having a stroke, heart attack, or another cardiovascular event. Those who engaged in more incidental activities, such as household chores, experienced greater health improvements. Moving your muscles is certainly protective for your heart.

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Recently, researchers wanted to explore how the weekend warrior lifestyle impacts the risk of heart disease for those with type 2 diabetes. Here’s the research.

The study

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In a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the study authors evaluated health and physical activity data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for nearly 52,000 people. The individuals in the study had type 2 diabetes and were placed into four groups:

  1. People in Group One were inactive and didn’t get any exercise.
  2. People in Group Two got less than 150 minutes of weekly moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
  3. Those in Group Three were weekend warriors completing a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise every week, fitting those minutes into one or two workout sessions.
  4. Those in Group Four were regularly active and completed a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week, split into three or more sessions.

The results

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The results showed the following:

  • People with type 2 diabetes who lived the weekend warrior lifestyle had a significantly reduced chance of fatality from heart disease compared to individuals in group one who didn’t get any exercise.
  • Groups two, three, and four, who were all physically active to some degree, had lower risks of fatality from heart disease and any cause compared to the inactive group one.
  • The weekend warriors had a 21% reduced risk of fatality from any cause and a 33% reduced risk of heart disease fatality compared to inactive group one.
  • The regularly active participants in group four had a 17% lower risk of fatality from any cause and a 19% lower risk of fatality from heart disease compared to the inactive group one.

The takeaway

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Even if you’re fitting your exercise into just one or two sessions on a weekend, this research shows that it’s still beneficial for your heart. Engaging in physical activity on weekends can still help improve inflammation and blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. It’s essential to note that this study focused on individuals who consistently logged the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week. 

The researchers pointed out that any exercise is better than none, and it’s crucial you fit it into your schedule in the way that works best for you. If you can aim for the recommended 150 minutes and keep the intensity moderate to vigorous, there are numerous benefits that come along with it, including for your heart.

Steph Green
Steph Green
Steph Green (Steph Zee) is a singer-songwriter and professional writer with over 12 years of experience in healthcare and… Read Full Bio
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