A study confirms the exercise pattern that helps lose weight

World Health Organization guidelines recommend that Adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week or an equivalent combination of both intensities. However, many people find it difficult to comply with this recommendation because physical activity takes time in a fast-paced society.

Now, a new study shows that people who limit their exercise to one or two days a week — and those researchers call “weekend warriors” — also They can lose weight in the same way, who practice it regularlyUntil they reach the recommended level.

So, depending on your results, whether you do physical activity regularly or once or twice a week, both options lead to weight loss as suggested. The work, which will be published in “Obesity” magazine in April, This study is the first of its kind to examine the relationship between physical activity patterns and objectively measured adipose tissue mass.

“‘Weekend Warrior’ pattern deserves a boost People who cannot comply with the recommended frequency in the current guidelines,” said Lihua Zhang, a health care scientist at Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Peking Union College of Medicine and one of the study’s corresponding authors.

Zhang suggested that office workers, bus drivers and other workers who have to sit for long periods of time during their workday might be interested in the research. “Those people are struggling to carry out exercise plans in their daily lives Compensating for the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle, but having less free time to go to the gym“Our study may provide them with an alternative option to stay fit,” Zhang said. He said there are activities suitable for weekend warriors, such as climbing, hiking, cycling or running.

Researchers extracted data from Over 9,600 participants In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2011 to 2018. The age of the participants ranged between 20 and 59 years.

the study

Abdominal and overall fat was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), a non-invasive and easily accessible body composition scan, and anthropometric measurements. Physical activity levels were obtained from the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and categorized as “inactive,” “weekend warrior,” and “regularly active.” Linear regression models used Survey to evaluate the relationship between physical activity patterns and indicators of adiposity,

The results showed that 772 participants were in the “weekend warrior” pattern and 3,277 were in the “regularly active” pattern. Compared to 5,580 “inactive” participants, Both the “weekend warrior” and “regularly active” groups had lower levels of belly fat., a waist circumference, total body fat mass and a body mass index measured with DXA. These two groups were also younger, more likely to be non-Hispanic white, more educated, and less likely to be unemployed or have high blood pressure or diabetes.

“At a high level, this study confirms the old adage about physical activity and health: Any activity is better than no activity, In particular, the training of “weekend warriors” was of high intensity and long duration, and even higher intensity and long duration. “However, the main takeaway is that people should remain active in any way that suits their lifestyle,” according to Beverly Chang, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Comprehensive Weight Management Center, Weill Cornell Medicine in NY.