Maximize Your Weekend Workouts: A Strategy to Reduce Diabetics’ Heart Disease Death Risk by 33%
Groundbreaking research published in Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that even if you squeeze all your weekly exercise into the weekends, it could significantly reduce the risk of heart disease death for individuals with diabetes. The study, which involved over 51,000 adults with diabetes, revealed that those who adopted a “weekend warrior” approach to exercise had a 33% lower risk of cardiovascular death compared to their inactive counterparts.
Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health meticulously analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey conducted between 1997 and 2018. They discovered that both “weekend warriors” (those who exercise 150+ minutes over 1-2 days) and regular exercisers (those spreading activity across 3+ days) reaped similar benefits in terms of mortality.
“These findings reinforce the importance of flexible physical activity patterns for people with diabetes,”
said lead author Zhiyuan Wu, a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard.
The study also highlighted that the “weekend warrior” approach resulted in a 21% lower risk of death from any cause, while regular exercisers experienced a 17% reduction. This underscores the critical role of meeting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week for longevity, regardless of whether it’s condensed into the weekends or spread throughout the week.
This research offers a beacon of hope for those who find it challenging to maintain daily exercise routines due to their busy schedules.