What Happens to Your Body When You Only Work Out Twice a Week? The Surprising Truth Scientists Can’t Stop Talking About!
Juggling type 2 diabetes management with life’s relentless pace can feel like a high-wire act without a safety net — especially when it comes to carving out time for physical activity. But what if I told you that that gym rat routine bustling through your weekdays might just be swapped for some weekend hustle without sacrificing your heart health? Intrigued? A fresh-off-the-press study in the Annals of Internal Medicine has dropped some truth bombs: folks with type 2 diabetes who squeeze their recommended exercise into one or two weekend sessions—yes, weekend warriors—still significantly slash their risk of heart disease compared to those who skip exercise altogether. It’s almost like telling your body, “Hey, I’m gonna hit you hard—but just for a couple of days”—and it pays dividends beyond what you might expect. Experts reckon this condensed but fierce exercise punch helps tame inflammation, regulate blood sugar, and deliver a slew of other health perks. So, if fitting workouts into a packed weekday schedule has been your bane, maybe it’s time to reconsider the weekend grind. Who knew cutting corners could actually pay off? LEARN MORE
- Physical activity is a key part of managing type 2 diabetes, but busy schedules make it tough to fit it in every day.
- A new study found that weekend workouts still offer massive heart health perks for those with type 2 diabetes.
- Experts think the exercise, even crammed into a smaller timeframe, could help with inflammation, blood sugar levels, and more.
Managing type 2 diabetes means being on top of your diet, exercise routine, and blood sugar levels at all times. Fitting in a regular workout plan can be tough with everything else you’ve got going on.
Consider this the next time you’re stressed about finding time to go to the gym during your workweek: You may be just fine squeezing in workouts on the weekend. (Anything is better than nothing!)
New research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that people with type 2 diabetes who were weekend warriors were still able to significantly lower their risk of dying from heart disease compared to those who didn’t exercise at all.
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Weekend warriors have gotten a bad rap, but this is just one of several studies that suggest you’re a-ok to fit your workout goals into a smaller amount of time if needed. Here’s what the latest study found, plus what doctors who treat people with diabetes recommend.
Meet the experts: Hosam Hmoud, MD, a cardiologist at Northwell’s Lenox Hill Hospital; Ronald Sigal, MD, associate professor of Medicine, Kinesiology, Cardiac Sciences and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary
What did the study find?
For the study, researchers analyzed health and physical activity data from nearly 52,000 people with type 2 diabetes who took part in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) between 1997 and 2018. The participants were lumped into four groups:
- People who were inactive, and did no moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a week
- People who were insufficiently active, getting less than 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a week
- Weekend warriors, who logged at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a week in one to two sessions
- Regularly active people, who got at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a week in three or more sessions
After a follow-up of about 9.5 years, 16,345 of the study participants died. The researchers discovered that people who were insufficiently active, weekend warriors, and regularly active had lower risks of dying from cardiovascular disease and any cause compared to those who were completely inactive.
Specifically, weekend warriors and regularly active participants had a 21 percent and 17 percent lower risk of dying from any cause and 33 percent and 19 percent lower risks of cardiovascular mortality, respectively, compared with people who were inactive.
Why might weekend workouts lower the risk of heart disease?
Research has shown that there are definite perks of the weekend warrior fitness style—and not just for people with diabetes. For example, a study of nearly 90,000 people published last year found that people who only worked out on the weekends had the same lowered risk of developing 264 diseases as those who exercised throughout the week.
Here’s the key thing: When researchers study weekend warriors, they’re looking at people who log the recommended 150-plus minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise a week, points out Ronald Sigal, MD, associate professor of Medicine, Kinesiology, Cardiac Sciences and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary who wrote an accompanying editorial about the study.
So, they’re still hitting exercise recommendations and getting the general perks that come with lots of exercise—it’s just jammed in to a smaller timeframe.
But experts say there are a few potential reasons why being a weekend warrior is so helpful for heart health in people with type 2 diabetes. “Patients who work out on weekends tend to have higher levels of rest prior to working out and may have lower levels of [low-grade] inflammation, which could ameliorate the development of cardiovascular disease and diabetes,” says Hosam Hmoud, MD, a cardiologist at Northwell’s Lenox Hill Hospital.
While Sigal says that “there’s nothing magical about 150 minutes,” he points out that getting regular exercise can support blood sugar management and blood vessel health, both of which are good for heart health. “Regular exercise tends to lower average blood sugar levels and therefore lower the risk of long-term complications of diabetes,” he says.
How often should you work out if you have type 2 diabetes?
Doctors generally agree that any amount of exercise is better than none, and fitting it into your schedule is important. But, in a perfect world, Hmoud says you’d aim for 150 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise.
Still, do what you can. “I tell all of my patients who have difficulty performing 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week to at least take a brisk 30 minute walk per day,” he says. “Walking outside has also been shown to reduce stress levels, which can potentially reduce the risk of the development of cardiovascular disease and improve overall mood.” Sigal also recommends rotating in resistance or strength-training exercise two times a week.
Overall, doctors stress the importance of regular activity for your health. “The more one does, the better it is,” Sigal says.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
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