Skipped a few sweat sessions this week? Don’t stress. Sometimes after a long day at the office, wrangling into a pair of leggings in the work toilets and rushing off to make that 6 p.m. HIIT class can be a big ask.
But a recent study found that people who cram all of their exercises into one or two sessions on weekends benefit almost as much as those who work out more frequently.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at more than 60,000 adults and found that those who did all of their exercise on the weekend got similar results as people who worked out for the same amount of time spread throughout the week.
Of course, there’s a catch. In order to cash in on the benefits, you have to meet the weekly recommended requirements of 150 minutes of moderate activity and 75 minutes of vigorous activity. Oh. As a rule of thumb, moderate exercise can be done while maintaining a conversation, whereas during vigorous exercise talking at the same time is too hard.
The study found participants who worked out only on weekends had a 30 percent lower risk of death than inactive adults; the ones who worked out throughout the week had a 35 percent lower risk of death than inactive adults. And both groups lowered their risk of cardiovascular death by about 40 percent.
Obviously, reducing your risk of dying is up there when it comes to health goals, but unfortunately, weekend workouts probably aren’t going to cut it if you have more specific (read: weight loss) fitness goals to kick.
The take home message? You know your body best, so move it accordingly.