Even a “weekend warrior” exercise pattern can lower heart risks
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Squeezing a week’s worth of exercise into a couple days—a “weekend warrior” pattern—is linked to the same heart benefits as daily exercise, a new study finds.
The study included nearly 90,000 people (average age 62) who wore wrist devices to measure their movement for one week. Researchers grouped them into three categories: those who exercised throughout the week (active regular), those who did the recommended amount of exercise in one or two days a week (weekend warrior), and those who didn’t meet the recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise (inactive). During eight years of follow-up, nearly 4,000 of the participants died, including 17% from cardiovascular disease. Compared to the inactive group, the risk of death from heart disease was 31% lower in the weekend warrior group and 26% lower in the active regular group. The findings — which uphold similar, previous findings — were published April 2, 2025, in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Image: © GoodLifeStudio/Getty Images
About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
