Are so-called “Weekend Warriors”—those folks who cram all their physical activity into 1–2 days—better than those who distribute their activity more evenly over the week? In a study from Massachusetts General Hospital, researchers looked at 90,000 people who wore accelerometers for a week. They compared 3 groups: those who got less than the guideline-recommended 150 mins/wk of physical activity, those who hit the guideline by working even throughout the week, and those who concentrated their 150+ minutes in just 1 or 2 days. The 2 groups who hit the 150-min/wk target were associated with lower risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and irregular heartbeat compared to the inactive group. The authors concluded that even when concentrated within 1–2 days each week, in-range targeted physical activity may be effective for improving overall cardiovascular risk.
Source: Khurshid S, Al-Alusi MA, Churchill TW, Guseh JS, Ellinor PT. Accelerometer-derived “Weekend Warrior” physical activity and incident cardiovascular disease. JAMA. 2023;330(3):247–252. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.10875
