Listen to “Are Weekend Workouts Enough?”
Let’s face it, working out during the week is a struggle. Few full-time jobs leave time for exercise during the workday itself, so that leaves two options: waking up way too early in the morning or going to the gym right after work—and then getting home way too late at night. Add family responsibilities, sleeping, and commuting to the equation, and the prospect becomes nearly impossible.
Many people don’t do much in the way of exercise during the week, but do have a little more free time on the weekends, and that’s when they get involved in physical activities. If you’re tight on time during the week and can hit the gym only on Saturdays and Sundays, you’ll welcome the results of a new survey published by JAMA Internal Medicine.
The nine-year study, published by Loughborough University, analysed more than 60,000 people aged 40 and over. Many did no exercise, some did the recommended 150 minutes a week, and 2,300 ‘weekend warriors’ exercised only once or twice a week.
Results showed that those who exercised for only one or two sessions a week reduced their risk of death to a similar level to those who spread the same amount of exercise over the whole week. Their overall risk of death was 30% lower than sedentary adults.
The number of workout sessions appears to be less important than how long you actually spend exercising overall, and possibly how intense those workouts are.
Being active whenever your routine permits will almost certainly wind up making you healthier.
Use your time on the weekend to devote to areas of your workout that you miss for reaching your goals like weight lifting for muscle building, or doing some yoga for flexibility.
Use your weekends to ignite your passion for moving by trying something new or doing workouts that take more time. Go indoor rock climbing, sign up for paddleboard yoga classes, try that new Tabata workout at your gym, or meet up with friends at a park for some outdoor workouts.
Ultimately, working out on the weekend can be enough if you make the most of it. Wake up, get moving, and cherish the opportunity to challenge that hard-working body of yours. So, the message is simple: Any activity is better than none – whether you spread it out or do it in one go. Move more, sit less. Keep your activity on track with the DeepH app.
