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I can’t push it in exercise During weekday work? According to new research, that’s OK. This is because he exceeds the recommended amount of exercise once a week over his two days, such as the weekend, or what many people call “under-exercising.”weekend warrior” – also zaps fat.
Both the World Health Organization and the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults call for at least 150 minutes of exercise each week. moderate physical activity, 75 minutes per week vigorous physical activity or a combination of both and some strength and flexibility training.
“The Weekend Warrior pattern is worth encouraging for those who cannot meet the frequency recommended by current guidelines,” said corresponding author, Professor of Medicine at the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Peking Union Medical College. said scientist Zhang Lihua. Beijing.
“Our results showed that there was no difference between the weekend warrior pattern and the regularly active pattern in abdominal and whole body adiposity (fat),” Zhang said in an email.
However, there was one caveat.average weekend warrior Zhang said the study participants’ workouts were more intense and lasted longer than weekday workouts. In fact, the weekend warriors in this study spent 147.6 minutes on each of their two-day exercise sessions, nearly their entire recommended weekly time. That “may partially explain our results, but further investigation is needed,” Zhang said.
People who can exercise more than 2 hours in a row Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and health at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, says they’re a sub-weekend warrior who has a “different type of exercise physiology that allows them to stay active for longer periods of time.” He said it could be a type.
“Have you ever run or biked vigorously for more than an hour?” asked Freeman, who was not involved in the study. “It takes tough training to get there. So the weekend warriors in this study may be people who are already in great shape, and maybe that’s how they train.” .”
Use of an objective body scan
the study, Published on Tuesday In the journal Obesity, we analyzed the body fat of more than 9,600 obese people between the ages of 20 and 59. National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) is a long-term federal study that assesses the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States.
The study used an objective tool called dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA scan) to measure fat and overall levels of fat. belly fatIt is thought that. the most dangerous type Fat affects your overall health.
Unlike measuring body mass index (BMI); rough estimate A DXA scan, which measures a person’s body fat based on height and weight, provides a more accurate and detailed analysis of bone density, adipose tissue, and lean body mass (everything in the body that isn’t fat).
“To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the association between physical activity patterns and adipose (adipose) tissue mass measured by DXA,” Zhang said in an email.
Martin Novak/Moment RF/Getty Images
Packing all the recommended 150 minutes of activity into two days is especially effective for weight loss, especially in the abdominal area.
In this study, both the 772 people who exercised on the weekends and the 3,277 people who exercised regularly had lower abdominal fat, waist circumference, and total body fat mass measured by DXA than the 5,580 people who said they did not exercise regularly. BMI was low.
His perseverance paid off, belly fat, Research has revealed this. The weekend warriors who worked out the hardest and for the longest time “gained more fat in their lower abdomen,” Dr. Beverly Chan, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Center for Comprehensive Weight Management at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, said in a statement.
“At a high level, this study reaffirms an old adage about physical activity and health: It’s better to be active than inactive,” said Chan, who was not involved in the study. , most importantly, people should be active in a way that suits their lifestyle.”