How do you use the weekend to protect your health?

Mark
Written By Mark

A study conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States of America found good news for people who are busy throughout the week, as practicing the recommended weekly physical activity intensely in one or two days is equivalent to doing it distributed throughout the week, and the two patterns can reduce the risk of contracting 264 diseases. , including heart, psychological and digestive diseases.

The results of this study, published in the journal Circulation on September 26, indicate that total activity is more important than its distribution, and individuals should be encouraged to engage in physical activity at any time that suits them.

Intense physical activity

The researchers analyzed data from the British Biobank project and found that both patterns of intense weekend physical activity, known as “weekend fighters,” and regular activity spread throughout the week were effective in reducing the risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and many diseases. The other.

“Physical activity is known to affect the risk of many diseases,” said Dr. Shawan Khorshid, study co-author and associate professor at the Demoulas Heart Disorders Center at Massachusetts General Hospital.

He added – according to the Eurek Alert website – “Here we show the potential benefits of weekend fighter activity not only in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, as we have shown previously, but also in reducing the risk of future diseases that include a wide range of diseases such as chronic kidney disease and mood disorders.” “And beyond.”

How much exercise do you need?

Medical guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week to maintain general health. Moderate physical activity refers to activities that are equivalent in intensity to brisk walking or cycling. Intense physical activity leads to significant increases in breathing or heart rate, such as running or biking up a hill.

But among people who stick to these recommendations, do those who exercise for 20-30 minutes on most days of the week get greater benefits compared to those who skip exercise for 5 or 6 days and then cram the whole time into one day?

Khorshid, along with co-author Dr. Patrick Eleanor, chief of cardiology and co-director of the Corrigan Minehan Heart Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, and their colleagues, analyzed data from 89,573 individuals who wore sensors that recorded their overall physical activity and the time they spent exercising at different intensities over the course of a week.

Participants’ physical activity patterns were classified into three categories: weekend fighters, regularly active people, and inactive people, based on an approved minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Physical activity and protection from diseases

The team then looked for associations between physical activity patterns and the occurrence of 678 medical conditions belonging to 16 disease categories, including mental health, digestive health, nervous system, and other categories.

Analyzes showed that weekend fighters’ physical activity patterns and regular activity were associated with a significantly lower risk of developing more than 200 diseases compared to inactivity. The strongest relationship was with a lower incidence of cardiometabolic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes. There was also a relationship between exercise and a reduced risk of developing all categories of diseases tested.

“Our results were consistent across different definitions of weekend fighter activity, as well as other thresholds used to classify people as active,” Khorshid said.

The results suggest that physical activity in general has broad benefits in reducing the risk of future disease, especially cardio-metabolic disease. “Because the benefits appear to be similar between weekend fighters’ activity and regular activity, it may be the total sum of activity that is most important rather than the pattern,” Khorshid said.

“Future interventions are needed to test the effectiveness of focused activity to improve overall health, and patients should be encouraged to engage in physical activity in line with guideline recommendations using whatever pattern suits them.”