Being a ‘weekend warrior’ is just as good for you as exercising every day – ‘reducing your risk of early death’

EXERCISING just two days a week is enough to slash your risk of disease or early death, according to research.

It found the “weekend warrior”; approach is as healthy as working out every day.

The schedule works better for people with busy weeks as they can cram in the NHS-recommended 2.5 hours of weekly exercise into just two days.

Data from 93,000 Brits found the tactic led to a significantly lower risk of premature death, heart disease or cancer.

Experts from Southern Medical University in China said the key is simply to hit the total time minute target, regardless of how you break it down.

Study author Dr Zhi-Hao Li said: “You don’t need to exercise every day to stay healthy.

“As long as you get 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week, whether packed into one to two days or spread out, you can significantly reduce your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, cancer or other causes.

“This message is encouraging news for busy people who struggle to fit in daily workouts but can manage a concentrated burst of activity on weekends or over a couple of days.

“The research provides reassuring evidence that even sporadic physical activity can have lasting health benefits.”;

Dr Li used eight years’ worth of medical records and activity data from 93,409 middle-aged people in the UK.

It showed that “weekend warriors”; who crammed their exercise into two days were 32 per cent less likely to die young than people who did not exercise.

Their risk of dying from heart disease was 31 per cent lower and of cancer 21 per cent lower.

Dr Li said it was surprising to see the risk reductions were equal to those seen in people who exercised every day.

The NHS says moderate-to-vigorous exercise can include a brisk walk, cycling, tennis, running, swimming, aerobics, lifting weights or team sports – and even gardening.

Dr Keith Diaz, of the American Heart Association, was not involved with the study but said: “Many people struggle to fit in daily exercise during the work week but this research shows that you can still gain health benefits even if you can only be active on the weekends.

“One important caveat to remember is that trying to fit 150 minutes of exercise into just one or two days can be a lot on your body.

“Some research suggests that weekend warriors have a slightly higher risk of injuries but the benefits of exercising just on the weekend far outweigh the potential risks.

“Make sure you do proper warm-ups and build up to higher volumes of activity over time to reduce your risk.”;