There is good news for 'weekend warriors' – people who only exercise at the weekend. Doing your recommended exercise at the weekend is enough to help you live longer. Researchers from universities in Loughborough and Sydney found that the health benefits from working out daily or at the weekends were almost the same, as long as people burnt enough calories. Weekend warriors can lower their risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases by 41 per cent and from cancer by 18 per cent. Those who exercised more regularly reduced their risks by 41% and 21%.
The article is published in the journal 'JAMA Internal Medicine'. It is based on a survey of 64,000 adults aged over 40. The researchers recommended people do at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity once or twice a week. They said: "The present study suggests that less frequent bouts of activity, which might be more easily fit into a busy lifestyle, offer considerable health benefits." They added: "A particularly encouraging finding was that a physical activity frequency as low as one or two sessions per week was associated with lower mortality."