Getting to the gym during the workweek is rarely easy. Either you’re waking up at the crack of dawn for an early spin class, changing into Spandex in your office bathroom after a long day of work (while fighting the urge to watch Netflix) or trying to somehow fit in a sweat session during your lunch break. #Ugh.
That’s why we’re awarding this scientific study five out of five praise hands emojis. The study looked at more than 60,000 adults and found that people who crammed all their exercise into the weekend got essentially the same benefits as people who worked out for the same amount of time spread throughout the week.
The catch: In order to get the benefits, you have to meet the weekly recommended requirements. (That’s 150 minutes of moderate activity and 75 minutes of vigorous activity.) The participants who worked out only on weekends had a 30% lower risk of death than inactive adults; the ones who worked out throughout the week had a 35% lower risk of death than inactive adults. And both groups lowered their risk of cardiovascular death by about 40%.
Obviously, reducing your risk of dying is a great thing, but unfortunately weekend workouts probably aren’t going to cut it if you have more specific fitness goals. This, like any study, is best taken with a grain of salt. After all, you know your body best.
