You can set your alarm to wake you up a little bit later tomorrow – research shows you can get effective results by only working out on the weekends.
Getting to the gym during the workweek can be a serious pain. Either you’re getting up before the sun to make it happen, sneaking in a quick run during your lunch hour, or rushing to the gym during rush hour. Not fun.
A new study of over 60,000 adults shows that adults who solely worked out on the weekends reap the same benefits as those who worked out just as much Monday thru Friday.
How much is enough if you want to cram your workout in on the weekend? Participants of the study had to meet the recommended weekly requirements – 75 minutes of intense exercise and 150 minutes of moderate exercise – in order to obtain effective results. When compared to sedentary adults, individuals who strictly worked out on the weekends lowered their risk of death by 30%, while those who worked out during the week lowered their risk of death by 35%. All active participants reduced their risk of cardiovascular death by 40%, and death due to cancer by 18%.
Reducing the risk of death while abandoning your weekday workouts is fantastic news for most of us, however this information should be taken with a kernel of caution. If you have serious weight loss or fitness goals, you may want to take into account what works best for your body and personal goals.
