Weekend warriors can still reap major health benefits
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
The study involved nearly 90,000 people (average age 62, 56% women) taking part in the UK Biobank research project. All wore wrist accelerometers that recorded their total physical activity and time spent at various exercise intensities over one week. Using these data and the guideline-based threshold of 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, researchers categorized participants as weekend warrior, regular, or inactive. (Weekend warriors and regular exercisers were comparable in total exercise time, but weekend warriors concentrated physical activity into one or two sessions per week, while regular exercisers spread physical activity throughout the week.) Researchers then searched for associations between physical activity patterns and the incidence of 678 conditions spanning 16 types of diseases.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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