Weekend Warriors or Daily Exercisers? New Study Finds Health Benefits in Both Approaches

Physical activity is one of the best things you can do to protect your health, helping to ward off conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. I’ve done my best to also make known the correlation of exercise with reduced risk for dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. National guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise each week. But with the demands of work, school, and other responsibilities, sticking to a consistent workout routine can be a challenge.

For many, weekends provide the perfect opportunity to catch up on exercise, engaging in activities like hiking, sports, or cycling. This “weekend warrior” approach to physical activity—cramming most of your weekly exercise into one or two days—may sound unconventional, but recent research suggests it might be just as effective as spreading activity out over the week.

In a new study led by Dr. Shaan Khurshid at Massachusetts General Hospital, researchers analyzed data from the UK Biobank, a large health study funded in part by the NIH that has followed over half a million adults for nearly two decades. Participants, aged 40 to 69, wore wrist accelerometers to track their physical activity for a week upon joining the study.

The team classified participants into three groups:

1. Inactive: Exercised less than 150 minutes per week.
2. Regular Exercisers: Met the 150-minute weekly threshold by spreading activity throughout the week.
3. Weekend Warriors: Also met the 150-minute goal but did most of their activity in one or two days.

Over an average of six years, researchers monitored the development of 678 health conditions among participants, accounting for factors like age, sex, ethnicity, lifestyle, and diet. The findings, published in Circulation on September 26, 2024, showed that people in both exercise groups—whether they spread their workouts across the week or concentrated them on the weekend—enjoyed significant health benefits compared to inactive individuals.

Both exercise groups had a reduced risk for over 250 health conditions, especially those related to cardiovascular health and metabolism, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and sleep apnea. For instance, both regular exercisers and weekend warriors had a 40% lower risk of developing diabetes than inactive participants.

Interestingly, the study found no difference in health outcomes between regular exercisers and weekend warriors. Even among those who went above the recommended 150 minutes, both groups saw similar benefits. This suggests that it may be the total volume of exercise that matters most for health, rather than how it’s spread out.

Dr. Khurshid notes, “Since weekend warriors seem to benefit just as much as regular exercisers, the volume of activity might be more important than the frequency. Future research can explore how concentrated exercise patterns could further improve public health. Ultimately, people should focus on meeting guideline-adherent activity levels in whichever way fits best into their lifestyle.”

This study offers encouraging news for those who find it hard to exercise every day. Whether you prefer a steady approach or the weekend warrior style, getting enough physical activity is what really counts. Further research will help refine our understanding of how different exercise patterns impact long-term health. For now, know that your commitment to exercise, however it fits into your life, can make a big difference.