Emily Chan
Of the roughly 75,000 participants, about 24,300 were considered inactive, 21,200 were regularly active, and 30,000 were weekend warriors.
The results showed that weekend warriors had a 26 percent lower risk of developing dementia, a 21 percent lower risk of stroke, and a 45 percent lower risk of Parkinson’s disease compared to the inactive group.
Furthermore, weekend warriors had a 40 percent and 37 percent reduced rate of depression and anxiety than the inactive group. Overall, the pattern between weekend warriors and the regularly active group was comparable.
Across age groups, both under and over 65 years old, the protective measures of both types of exercise against anxiety and depression were consistent.
However, the decreased risks for stroke, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease were especially noticeable in people over 65, suggesting that physical activity is crucial for older adults, who have a higher chance of developing such conditions.
The research team concluded that as long as individuals partook in moderate to vigorous physical activity on one or two days of the week, even if they were not consecutive days, they could achieve similar health benefits to those who exercise throughout the week.
The study was published in the journal Nature Aging.
