Why Working Out Only on the Weekends Is Good Enough
If you’re playing supermom, you’re busy — we get it! Because you’re basically working the equivalent of two jobs, we don’t blame you if exercising falls to the wayside. So if you beat yourself up for only making it to the gym once per week, stop it! We have some good news for you.
According to researcher Gary O’Donovan, you shouldn’t feel lousy about yourself if you’re only working out once a weekend. In fact, you’re just about as healthy as someone who hits the gym multiple times per week.
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O’Donovan and his team studied 60,000 people in the England and Scotland and found that those who just worked out on the weekend (weekend warriors is the popular slang term for these kinds of people) got similar health benefits compared to people who exercised more often and during the week.
Those who engaged in physical activity during the week reduced their overall risk of death by 35 percent compared to inactive adults, while weekend warriors reduced their risk by 30 percent. When comparing cardiovascular health, the margins were even thinner. Those who exercised during the week lowered their risk of cardiovascular death by 41 percent, while weekend warriors lowered theirs by 40 percent.
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“Millions of people enjoy doing sports once or twice a week, but they may be concerned that they are not doing enough,” said O’Donovan in an interview with The Guardian. “We find a clear benefit. It’s making them fit and healthy.”
So the next time you look up at the clock and it’s 9 p.m. and you feel guilty about not making it to the gym, don’t worry! If you’re enjoying a few nice long walks on the weekend or heading to a yoga class after church, you’re doing your part.
Breathe a sigh of relief and get some shut-eye. There’s plenty of time to work out this weekend!
h/t Science of Us
Try these six ab exercises this weekend.
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