Alternative Health Blog

OK, weekend warriors, there is proof that your Saturday and/or Sunday workouts are doing you some serious good. Maybe not as much as several workouts per week but decidedly better than no regular, even once-weekly exercise in your life.

Harvard researcher I-Min Lee published a study in 2004 that tracked more than 8,400 men between the ages of 50 and 70 over a decade. Those men who maintained a weekend exercise habit over the years were significantly less likely to die before the average life expectancy for American males at 78 years old. And that’s even if the man doesn’t move much the rest of the week, perhaps because of job or family obligations.

There are some caveats. The men who lived longer and stronger expended about 1,000 calories from exercise, most of it during fairly intense weekend bouts that were nonetheless considered “recreational” by the men in the study. Lin analyzed the data from the Harvard Alumni Health Study. Also, the men living longer were generally healthy during their adult lives, maintaining normal body weight and experiencing few cardiovascular problems.

In contrast, men who were overweight and/or showed a history of heart troubles did not extend their life with regular weekend exercise. Lin showed these men might well be putting themselves at higher risk for cardiac episodes caused by trying to overdo it while not properly conditioned. In all cases, the weekend warrior exercise loses its health luster if you overdo it on your joints and muscles.

The next study we need to Lin or another sharp scientist to undertake: Can a regular weekend workout or, say, playing an intense game of tennis with a friend every Wednesday, lead to the desire to add more exercise to our weeks? A huge part of staying fit is building upon our success, whether it is a once-a-week pickup basketball/volleyball/golf game (walking with your bag), eating less saturated fat or waking up at the same time every morning even on weekends. All good ideas and all formidable first steps to a healthier lifestyle.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday