Weekend Warriors: Could 1 or 2 Weekly Sessions of Exercise Decrease Morality Risk?
According to a recent study, 1 to 2 session of moderate-intensity or vigorous-intensity physical activity may be enough to reduce the risks for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality.
Researchers used data from the Health Survey for England and Scottish Health Survey completed from 1994 to 2012 by 63,591 participants. Participants were interviewed about their physical activity, and reported frequency and duration of domestic physical activity (such as housework), walking, and participation in sports.
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Activity patterns were characterized as inactive, no moderate-intensity or vigorous-intensity activity, insufficiently active, less than 150 minute per week of moderate-intensity or less than 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity activities, or infrequent patterns. Participants who reported completing 150 minutes or more of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes or more of vigorous-intensity in 1 to 2 sessions were categorized as "weekend warriors." Regularly active participants completed 150 minutes or more per week of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes or more per week of vigorous-intensity activities in 3 or more sessions.
Overall, 8802 all-cause mortality deaths occurred, 2526 cancer-related deaths occurred, and 2780 deaths related to cardiovascular disease occurred. The hazard ratio for all-cause mortality in insufficiently active participants, who reported 1 to 2 session per week, was .69, the hazard ratio for cardiovascular disease was .63, and the hazard ratio for cancer was .86 compared to inactive participants.
In weekend warriors, hazard ratios compared with inactive participants were .70 for all-cause mortality, .60 for cardiovascular disease, and .82 for cancer. Regularly active participants had a hazard ratio of .65 for all-cause mortality, .59 for cardiovascular disease, and .79 for cancer compared to inactive participants.
“One of the most striking findings in the present study was that 1 or 2 sessions per week of moderate- or vigorous-intensity leisure time physical activity was sufficient to reduce all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality risks regardless of adherence to prevailing physical activity guidelines,” the researchers stated.
Their findings illustrate that completing 1 to 2 sessions per week of moderate-intensity or vigorous-intensity physical activity, regardless of meeting recommended guidelines, may reduce risks for all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality.
—Melissa Weiss
Reference:
Donovan G, I-Min L, Hamer M, et al. Association of “weekend warrior” and other leisure time physical activity patterns with risks for all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality [published online January 9, 2017]. Jama Internal Medicine. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.8014.