It is recommended we all aim for 150 minutes a week of moderate physical activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous activity). Spreading that 150 minutes out in increments of, say, 30 minutes a day, five days a week is a common recommendation, but that is not practical or possible for everyone. A group of researchers studied the health effects associated with squeezing all the recommended weekly activity into a day or two. The study used data on nearly 90,000 people ages 54 to 70 who wore an activity-tracking accelerometer for one week. They then compared physical activity patterns with incidence of various health conditions.
Compared to people who were active less than 150 minutes a week, being regularly active and being a so-called “weekend warrior” were similarly associated with lower risk of more than 200 disorders. The strongest associations were seen with high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and sleep apnea.
This study adds to convincing evidence that all movement is good movement, as long as you achieve the recommended total. Find activities you enjoy, and work toward being active at least 150 minutes a week.