Cramming workout into weekend instead of across week is still effective, ‘surprising’ study finds

Concentrating heart workout to one to two days of the week compared to light exercise throughout a week is still effective in reducing risks of heart attack, according to a new study.

The research, published on Tuesday in the journal JAMA, suggests that people who find it difficult to find time to exercise during a busy work week may concentrate their moderate-to-vigorous physical activity to the weekend.

This “weekend warrior” pattern is linked to similar lower risks of heart disease and stroke compared with more evenly distributed exercise, say researchers, including those from Massachusetts General Hospital in the US.

While exercise guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity over a week for better health, it remains unclear if concentrated exercise can provide the same benefits.

“Our analysis represents the largest study to address this question,” said lead author Shaan Khurshid.

In the study, scientists assessed data on over 89,000 individuals who wore wrist accelerometers recording their total physical activity and time spent at different intensities for a full week.

Among the participants, a third were inactive, while about 42 per cent were active weekend warriors, and nearly a quarter were “active-regular,” working out at least 150 minutes with most of their exercise spread out over several days.

Researchers then assessed the link between individuals’ activity pattern and their risks for heart conditions like myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke.

The observations were also adjusted for age, sex, racial and ethnic background, as well as tobacco use, alcohol intake, employment status, diet quality and other factors.

The study found that both types of physical activity were associated with similarly lower risks of heart attack – 27 per cent less risk for active weekend warriors, and 35 per cent lower for active-regular, compared with inactive participants.

“Increased activity, even when concentrated within 1 to 2 days each week, may be effective for improving cardiovascular risk profiles,” researchers wrote in the study.

“Our findings suggest that interventions to increase physical activity, even when concentrated within a day or two each week, may improve cardiovascular outcomes,” Patrick T Ellinor, another author of the study, said.

In future research, scientists hope to assess whether the weekend warrior–type activity might be associated with reduced risks of a broader spectrum of diseases.