(Photo: localfitness.com.au/CC)
We all know exercise is important but for many the main excuse is time. The pressures of work and family life during the week mean many people only seriously exercise on the weekends – but the good news is that this is still beneficial to overall health.
Results from a research study, from the University of Leicester, University College London and the University of Sydney, has shown that people who do one or two workouts a week on the weekends lower their risk of dying over roughly the next decade nearly as much as people who exercise more often. Showing that exercise, no matter how often, can have an overall beneficial effect on long-term health outcomes.
The study looked at data from almost 64,000 adults aged 40 and over collected as part of health surveys for England and Scotland from 1994 to 2012. Researchers were particularly interested in so-called “weekend warriors”: adults who only exercise at the weekend. Participants were placed into 4 groups based on how much and how often they exercised, the groups were.
inactive – not reporting any moderate – or vigorous-intensity physical activities
insufficiently active – less than 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity and less than 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity physical activity
weekend warrior – at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity or at least 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity physical activity from one or two sessions
regularly active – at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity or at least 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity physical activity from three or more sessions
The results showed that, compared to the inactive group, all active groups saw a reduction in their risk of death from any cause or cardiovascular disease. Compared with inactive participants, any level of activity reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by around 40%. However, those who were regularly active saw a reduction in cardiovascular disease and a significant reduction in death from cancer (reduced by 21%).
The study found that, compared with those who didn’t exercise at all, people who did some kind of physical activity, whether regularly or irregularly, saw a reduction in their risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD), which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
In addition, extensive research has shown that exercise and a healthy diet can reduce the risk of a range of diseases, such as cancer, heart disease and type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure. So getting active and exercising as often as you can is really beneficial to long term health.
Dr Gary O’Donovan, study author and expert in physical activity and health, from Loughborough University, said the key was doing exercise that was “purposeful, and done with the intention of improving health”.
The study’s authors concluded that whilst regular exercise is still the best option, fitting in one or two workouts on the weekend is still of significant benefit to long-term health. So away with the excuses and get exercising whenever you can!
Rachel Kayani
