A Washington, D.C.-area doctor is calling a new study about people who exercise just one or two days a week “empowering.”
People who exercise one or two days a week — so-called “weekend exercisers” — may enjoy the same brain-boosting health benefits as people who exercise regularly.
New Research Published in Nature Aging People who exercise fewer days per week have been found to have a lower risk of dementia, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, depression and anxiety, just like those who exercise five or more days per week.
“The results of this study are very impressive,” he said. Angela SueHe is an internist and geriatrician at Kaiser Permanente in McLean, Virginia.
“We know exercise is beneficial, but this study seems to say that you can still get many of the benefits of exercise even if you cram it in and do it all at once.”
Among study participants who enjoyed sports on the weekends, researchers found a decrease in:
- Dementia: 23%
- Stroke: 13%
- Parkinson’s disease: 49%
- Depression: 26%
- Anxiety: 28%
Doctors recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week to reduce the risk of heart disease, chronic disease and stroke. The study doesn’t address how best to allocate that time or what an ideal exercise routine would be, Su said.
But previous studies have shown that people who exercise more than the recommended amount each week experience better health outcomes, she said.
The study is good news for people whose demanding schedules leave them with little time to devote to fitness.
“Exercise is powerful,” she says. “Anything you can do to get moving is good, and if you can fit exercise into your schedule, it’s going to have a positive effect on your brain and your body in the long run, so go for it.”
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