What no-one ever told you about working out just once a week
This is excellent news for all the “weekend warriors” who drop into Pilates on a Saturday, and take a leisurely stroll on a Sunday.
Photo: iStock
If you’re first workout of the week tends to occur on Saturday… and the second – if at all – on a Sunday, there’s no need to berate yourself next time your colleagues start dropping their consistent 6 A.M. sessions into water-cooler conversations.
Turns out, your infrequent runs and imperfect Pilates attendance is still pretty great for your health, according to new research published in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal.
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The study dubs those who have just enough time/ motivation for 150 minutes of exercise a week – or 75 minutes of intense work outs – “weekend warriors,” explains Well+ Good.
A group who, compared to their sedentary counterparts surveyed, had a 40 per cent less chance of suffering heart disease and 18 per cent lower rate of cancer.
According to Gary O’Donovan, who lead the paper, “the present study suggests that less-frequent bouts of activity, which might be more easily fit into a busy lifestyle, offer considerable health benefits, even in the obese and those with major risk factors.”
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Well, there you have it, people: a reason to pat yourself on the back for upping your step count on your day’s off – even if it’s just walking down to the beach or meandering with a #greenjuice in hand through the Saturday farmer’s markets.
It’s certainly a realistic approach, and hey – as the old adage goes, something is better than nothing… Especially when it comes to exercise.
January 13, 201710:36am
