Skip to Content
Accessibility Statement
Close Banner
Integrative Health

Weekend Warriors vs. Daily Exercisers: Is One Actually Better?

Ava Durgin
Author:
Ava Durgin
September 05, 2025
Ava Durgin
Assistant Health Editor
By Ava Durgin
Assistant Health Editor
Ava Durgin is the Assistant Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She is a recent graduate from Duke University where she received a B.A. in Global Health and Psychology. In her previous work, Ava served as the Patient Education Lead for Duke Hospital affiliated programs, focusing on combating food insecurity and childhood obesity.
women in workout clothes holding water bottle at gym
Image by Studio Firma / Stocksy
September 05, 2025

If your weekdays are packed and your gym shoes mostly gather dust until Saturday, you’re not alone. Many of us find it tough to squeeze in workouts during the week, but here’s the good news: research suggests that your weekend sweat sessions may be just as effective for long-term health as spreading workouts across the week.

Calling all weekend warriors 

Current guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week to support overall health. But until recently, it wasn’t clear whether cramming it all into a couple of days (the so-called “weekend warrior” approach) could match the benefits of more evenly spaced workouts.

So, what does the research say?

Researchers analyzed data from over 90,000 adults in the UK Biobank, tracking their activity and health outcomes over an average of eight years. Here’s what they discovered:

  • Both weekend warriors and regular exercisers saw significant reductions in mortality risk compared to inactive adults.
  • Weekend warriors lowered their risk of death from all causes by 32%, while regular exercisers saw a 26% reduction.
  • Risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer also dropped notably in both groups.
  • The key factor wasn’t timing; it was simply meeting the weekly 150-minute movement threshold.

A quick caveat: Packing all activity into one or two days may slightly increase the risk of injuries. Proper warm-ups, recovery, and gradually building intensity are essential.

The takeaway

When it comes to exercise, consistency matters, but flexibility counts, too. Whether you spread your movement across the week or save it for the weekend, hitting that 150-minute mark can profoundly support your heart, brain, and overall longevity.

So, if your schedule only frees up on Saturdays? Lace up.

Keep reading: