'Weekend warrior' workouts linked to longer life

When it comes to workouts, exercising only on the weekends is still better than doing nothing at all, a new study suggests.

Compared with inactive adults, people who get any amount of exercise may live longer, according to the study of middle-aged adults in the UK and Scotland.

With some activity, but less than the minimum weekly recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of intense workouts, people were 34 per cent less likely to die during the study period compared to people who didn't exercise at all.

Weekend warriors who crammed the minimum amount of weekly exercise into one or two workouts were 30 per cent less likely to die during the study.

"The weekend warriors in our study undertook a large proportion of vigorous-intensity exercise, and quality may be more important than quantity," said lead study author Gary O'Donovan of Loughborough University in the UK.

"Vigorous-intensity exercise improves aerobic fitness more than the same amount of moderate-intensity exercise," O'Donovan added by email. "And, two bouts of vigorous-intensity exercise per week are sufficient to maintain aerobic fitness."

Plenty of research has shown the benefits of physical activity,...