Even weekend workouts could help you live longer

During the workweek, time to exercise can quickly slip away. But meeting physical activity targets by cramming workouts into the weekend could actually buy back time in the long run. A new study reports that people whose physical activity fits a "weekend warrior" pattern might lower the risk of an early death from cardiovascular disease, cancer and other causes. The study defined weekend warriors as people who achieved 150 minutes or more a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity in just one or two days. Compared with less active people, the study's weekend warriors were 32% less likely to die from any cause over a follow-up period of roughly eight years. Also, they were 31% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 21% less likely to die from cancer during that time. The results were similar among people who met or exceeded physical activity targets but spread their exercise across three or more days a week. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. "You don't need to exercise every day to stay healthy. As long as you get 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week," study co-author Dr. Zhi-Hao Li said in a news release. Li is an epidemiologist in the School of Public Health at Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China. "This message is encouraging news for busy people who struggle to fit in daily workouts but can manage a concentrated burst of activity on weekends or over a couple of days," Li said. Federal guidelines recommend that each week, adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent combination. In the new study, nearly 43% of participants were classified as weekend warriors, and almost 24% hit the physical activity targets by spreading exercise throughout the week. This article was provided by The Associated Press.