'Weekend warriors' may yield similar brain health benefits as those who exercise regularly

• According to a new study, evenly spreading out the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity throughout the week may not be necessary to reap its benefits for cognitive health.
• The authors of the study were particularly interested in the effect of concentrating physical activity during just a couple of days of the week on the risk of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke.
• The study finds that “weekend warriors” who get more than 50% of their weekly exercise on their days off seem to benefit just as much as those who distribute their activity across the week.
• When physical activity is concentrated in just a couple of days, the remaining five days of comparatively less activity become a time for the body to recover, heal, and gain strength.

A new study suggests that weekend warriors who complete most of their exercise over one to two days within a week may reap similar cognitive benefits — such as lower risk of dementia and Parkinson’s disease — as those who exercise more regularly.

Experts agree that participating in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for at least 150 minutes a week is associated with profound health benefits . For many, however, finding time to exercise during a busy week is difficult.

Now, a large observational study published in Nature Aging finds that when the majority of physical activity occurs on just two days a week—the weekend, for example—the same health benefits apply, particularly in the area of brain health.

The purpose of the study is to investigate an area the authors feel has been under-researched: the timing and pacing of recommended levels of MVPA.

Depending on one’s schedule, those two days may or may not be the weekend. The point is that, according to the study, one can go a bit lighter on physical activity during busy days and make up for it in less tightly scheduled times.

Comparing brain health benefits from different exercise styles

The investigation was conducted by researchers in China, who analyzed data from 75,629 people in the UK biobank . The average age of participants was 62.

One unique feature of the study was that about 100,000 of the participants wore fitness trackers , which provided researchers with objective measurements of activity levels.

The authors of the study divided individuals into three groups:

• Inactive people — who did not meet the recommended 150 minutes of MVPA per week
• Regularly active people — who spread their 150 minutes of MVPA evenly throughout their week
• Weekend warriors — who got more than 50% of their MVPA on one or two days, and the rest throughout the week.

The researchers were especially interested in the effect of physical activity on brain health: dementia , Parkinson’s disease, and stroke .

The study participants were followed for a median period of 8.4 years, during which time the researchers combed medical records to track the incidence of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and other psychological disorders among the study cohort.

Why is moderate to vigorous exercise good for cognitive health?

Paul Arciero, MS, DPE , Professor of the Health and Human Physiological Sciences Department at Skidmore College, who was not involved in the study, explained that MVPA “benefits the brain in numerous ways.” Arciero said physical activity “increases blood flow throughout the body, including the brain, which helps deliver nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and removes harmful, unwanted waste products/toxins, etc.”

“Increased blood flow to the brain helps grow new nerve fibers and blood vessels and reduces plaque build-up, inflammation , and free radicals. It increases anti-inflammatory substances and antioxidants ,” he explained.

Arciero pointed out that in his own work with individuals of the same age as those in the study, moderate aerobic exercise three or more days a week resulted in improved cognition and blood markers responsible for nerve growth.

MVPA also “releases opioids inside the brain to make us feel happier, euphoric, and content,” he noted.

Ryan Glatt, CPT, NBC-HWC , senior brain health coach and director of the FitBrain Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA, was likewise not involved in the study.

“Physical activity may enhance mood through neurotransmitter modulation, yet the consistency and magnitude of these effects require further investigation,” offered Glatt.

For people already experiencing symptoms of dementia or Parkinson’s disease, Glatt offered, “Activities like walking and tai chi may be beneficial, but the effectiveness varies significantly among individuals, and results are not universally assured.”

Why and when to use the “weekend warrior” exercise approach

Arciero said our bodies work best when we move every day, doing general activities such as taking the stairs, gardening, walking, and so on. He noted that it is important to let the body recover after moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercises.

Therefore, he said, while “the weekend warrior approach may be ideal for people unable to fit MVPA into their routine, they should still aim to simply be generally active five days a week and then push a little harder on the weekend.”

“As long as you include a proper warm up and cool down,” Arciero said.

Glatt said, “The study suggests that the ‘weekend warrior’ exercise pattern might offer similar brain health benefits as regular exercise , though the evidence is not conclusive.”

Arciero suggested a weekly schedule that may be suitable for those who can’t spread out their more vigorous exercises throughout the week:

“An ideal scenario would be walking 4–10k steps a day during the week, and then longer more intense fitness activities during the weekend.” He proposed, “A longer hike, bike, swim, tennis, pickleball, yoga , [or] resistance training.”

Weekdays can then serve as recovery time.