Working out for just two days a week may be enough to keep cancers and heart diseases at bay, a study suggests. 

A team of scientists from various parts of the world discovered that engaging in a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity across two days yielded similar health advantages as exercising throughout the entire week.

Individuals who worked out only on two days showed a 32 percent reduced likelihood of mortality from any cause, a 31 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular issues, and a 21 percent decreased chance of dying from cancer.

The American Heart Association suggests that adults partake in moderate-intensity aerobic exercises for approximately 150 minutes weekly, engage in 75 minutes of intense aerobic activities each week, or a combination of both, ideally spread out over the week.

However, this study shows that 150 minutes can be as effective of done in just two days.   

Dr Zhi-Hao Li, an epidemiologist at Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China and the study’s corresponding author noted: ‘You don’t need to exercise every day to stay healthy. 

‘As long as you get 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week – whether packed into one to two days or spread out – you can significantly reduce your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, cancer or other causes.’

Working out for merely two days a week may be enough to keep cancerous tumors and heart diseases at bay

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, divided nearly 100,000 people from the UK 37 to 73 years old into three groups.

The groups included ‘active weekend warriors’ – people who completed most of their exercise in one or two days; ‘active regulars’ – those who spread their activity throughout the week and lastly ‘inactives’ – participants who did not complete 150 minutes of weekly activity.

Researchers then analyzed seven days worth of physical activity captured by their accelerometer (a device that measures movement), as well as health-related statistics from 2013 to 2015. 

The accelerometers captured a range of activities, including walking, jogging, stationary cycling, elliptical exercises, household chores, gardening and leisure activities such as dancing. 

Based on the data, over 42 percent of participants were classified as weekend warriors, about 24 percent as active regulars and nearly 34 percent as inactive. 

The collected data was then evaluated on how different physical activity patterns may affect the risk of dying from all causes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

The risk for each condition was deduced using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision – a global system for medically coding causes of death.

Compared to the inactive group, the weekend warrior and active regular groups had a significantly lower risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease and cancer if they completed 150 minutes of physical activity a week –  whether it was over two days or throughout the week.

Among participants in the active regular group, the risk of death from all causes was 26 percent lower; the risk of death from cardiovascular disease was 24 percent lower and the risk of death from cancer was 13 percent lower.  

Based on the conclusions, Dr Li added: ‘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.

‘The research provides reassuring evidence that even sporadic physical activity can have lasting health benefits, making it easier for people to prioritize their well-being amid busy schedules.’

However, despite promising results about weekend workouts, it’s important to be mindful of potential injury risks, especially if you haven’t been active during the week

Exercising even twice a week can help strengthen the heart muscles, which improves their ability to pump blood efficiently and thus, lowers the possibility of developing high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. 

It can also prevent the body from developing type 2 diabetes, mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, arthritis and cancers including kidney, lung and stomach. 

However, despite promising results about weekend workouts, it’s important to be mindful of potential injury risks, especially if you have not been active during the week.

Dr Keith Diaz, a physiologist at Columbia University who was not involved in the study, warns weekend warriors may be at a slight risk of musculoskeletal injuries and should practice good measures to prevent damage. 

He explained in the agency’s statement: ‘One important caveat to remember is that trying to fit 150 minutes of exercise into just one or two days can be a lot on your body. 

‘Some research suggests that weekend warriors have a slightly higher risk of musculoskeletal injuries compared to those who exercise more regularly. 

‘However, the benefits of exercising just on the weekend far outweigh the potential risks. If you are going to be a weekend warrior, make sure you do proper warm-ups and build up and progress to higher volumes of activity over time. 

‘This will help to reduce your risk of injuries.’