Weight loss: Does the frequency of exercise play a role?
Whether you exercise regularly or 1-2 times a week, you get the same weight-loss benefits, according to the findings of a new study, the first of its kind to examine the association between physical activity patterns and objectively measured body fat mass.
The World Health Organization recommends that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week.
However, many struggle to meet this goal, as physical activity is time-consuming in a fast-paced society.
The new study found that people who the researchers describe as “weekend warriors”—that is, cramming exercise into one to two days a week—can lose weight comparable to that of regular exercisers, as long as they meet recommended goals.
Study co-author Lihua Zhang, a physician at Fuwai Hospital, the National Cardiovascular Center, and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, suggested that promoting the weekend warrior pattern would be beneficial for individuals unable to meet the recommended frequency according to current guidelines.
Zhang suggests that office workers, drivers, and generally those who need to sit for long hours should offset the risk of a sedentary lifestyle by exercising 1-2 times a week.
“Our study could offer them an alternative option to keep fit,” Zhang said, noting that there are suitable activities for weekend warriors, such as climbing, hiking, cycling, or running.
The researchers used data from more than 9,600 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2011 to 2018. The participants ranged in age from 20 to 59.
Abdominal and general adiposity were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), a noninvasive scan of body composition, and by anthropometric measurements.
Physical activity levels were collected by the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, and participants were classified as inactive, weekend warriors, and regularly active.
The study revealed that 772 participants followed the weekend warrior pattern, while 3,277 adhered to the regular exercise pattern. Compared to the 5,580 inactive participants, both the weekend warrior group and the regular exerciser group had less abdominal fat, a smaller waist circumference, less fat mass, and a lower body mass index.
Members of these two groups were also younger, tended to have a higher educational background, and were less likely to be unemployed or have hypertension or diabetes.
The study confirms the established position of experts, according to which any activity is better than no activity.
It’s worth noting that the weekend warriors’ training was of higher intensity and longer duration, characteristics that correlate with even lower abdominal fat. The main conclusion of the study, however, is that people should be active in whatever way fits their lifestyle.