'Weekend Warrior' Workouts Reduce Diabetics' Risk Of Death

Follow Drugslib on

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com

via HealthDay

WEDNESDAY, July 23, 2025 — A “weekend warrior” exercise schedule can lower diabetics’ risk of early death, a new study says.

People with diabetes who get all their recommended weekly exercise in one or two sessions – the “weekend warrior” approach – were 21% less likely to die early from any cause than their counterparts who don’t work out, researchers report today in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

They also were 33% less likely to die from heart disease, results show.

“These findings reinforce the importance of flexible physical activity patterns for people with diabetes as they can improve insulin sensitivity and glycemic control — especially for those who face barriers to maintaining regularly routine exercise,” concluded the research team led by Zhiyuan Wu, a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

Exercise guidelines recommend that people get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity every week to maintain their health, researchers said in background notes. Moderate activity can include brisk walking, slow bicycling, active yoga, ballroom dancing and general yard work.

However, it’s not always easy to find time to work out, researchers said.

“Many people struggle to engage in regular physical activity throughout the week due to time constraints,” researchers said. “To overcome this, some condense their recommended (physical activity) into one or two weekly sessions — a pattern known as the ‘weekend warrior’ approach.”

For this study, researchers analyzed data gathered from nearly 52,000 people with diabetes between 1997 and 2018 as part of the National Health Interview Survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The survey included questions on people’s exercise patterns. Researchers compared that to 2019 death certificate data, to see whether physical activity made a difference.

Not only did “weekend warrior” workouts reduce risk of premature death, they actually appeared to be more effective than regular exercise spaced out three or more times across a week, the team found.

Folks with diabetes who met exercise guidelines with three or more shorter workouts weekly had a 17% lower risk of death from any cause and 19% lower risk of heart-related death, compared with those who don’t work out, results show.

However, researchers noted that the observational study couldn’t draw a direct cause-and-effect link between exercise and lower risk of death.

Future studies should more comprehensively track people’s daily physical activity, including the exercise they might get as a part of their work or communte, researchers said.

Sources

  • Annals of Internal Medicine, July 21, 2025

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2025-07-24 00:00

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords