Weekend workouts are enough to ‘slash your risk of an early death by 33%'
Researchers at Harvard University, USA, said ' weekend warriors ' with diabetes get just as much benefit as people who work out every day.
Cramming physical activity into Saturday and Sunday is common as many of us struggle to make time in our daily lives.
It might seem like less exercise but a study showed the heart benefits can be just as great.
Data from nearly 52,000 Americans with diabetes showed that weekend warriors had a 21 per cent lower risk of dying young of any cause, compared to people who did not regularly exercise.
Their risk of dying from heart disease was 33 per cent lower, study authors wrote in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
The risk reduction was slightly greater even than people who exercised multiple days per week.
The key was simply to hit the NHS target of at least 2.5 hours of moderate activity over the two days.
Commenting on the study, Professor Ronald Sigal of the University of Calgary, said: 'Regular physical activity is recommended for most people with or without diabetes.
'On the whole, these findings are encouraging.
'They provide evidence that protective effects of physical activity against cardiovascular and overall mortality could be achieved through one or two weekly physical activity sessions."
Sport England figures show the number of adults trying to get fit is on the rise, with 30million people – 64 per cent of adults – hitting the NHS exercise target last year.
Get fit at 50: Workouts for beginners and those short on time
Regular activity is proven to be great for your health and reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, dementia, stroke and mental health conditions.
It's not the first time weekend exercise has been shown to be beneficial.
A 2024 study published in the journal Circulation, led by Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, looked at data from 89,573 people from the UK Biobank, a database which holds medical and lifestyle records of more than half a million Britons.
The team said that compared to no exercise, cramming workouts in one to two days or being active throughout the week were both associated with "substantially lower risks of over 200 diseases", from heart disease to mood disorders.
Lifestyle tips to reduce risk of biggest killers in every decade of life
CANCER, dementia and heart disease are among the biggest killers in the UK.
Around 167,000 people a year die from cancer, 160,000 from heart disease and 74,000 from dementia.
Around 167,000 people a year die from cancer, 160,000 from heart disease and 74,000 from dementia.
Prevention is better than the cure and simple lifestyle tweaks can help reduce your risk of these conditions.
Eating better, exercising, wearing sunscreen and seeing friends can each play a part in warding off disease.
Here Dr Tom Matthew, from mbewellness.com, tells us how to protect yourself – no matter your age.
IN YOUR 20s
Stop smoking: lighting up is linked to 15 types of cancer, heart disease, heart attack, stroke and dementia
Get HPV vaccine: can stop six different types of cancer
Turn down the volume: protect your hearing for the sake of your brain
IN YOUR 30s
Join a gym: exercise can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease and dementia
Stop sunbathing: getting sunburned just once can triple your risk of skin cancer, which can kill
IN YOUR 40s
Reduce alcohol: boozing is linked to seven types of cancer, heart disease and dementia.
NHS MOT: it's free and checks for lots of health issues
Watch weight: obesity can lead to heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes and can cause 13 different types of cancer
IN YOUR 50s
See friends: socialising is believed to reduce risk of cancer and dementia
Screening for cancer: The NHS offers free HPV, bowel and breast cancer checks
Reduce stress: studies have linked stress to heart disease, potentially as a result of higher blood pressure
IN YOUR 60s & 70s
Take asprin: It can reduce inflammation in the body which is associated with cancer
Vital check in men: go to your free NHS abdominal aortic aneurysm screening (you'll be invited when your 64/65)
Back to school: Keep learning and socialing to ward of dementia
Go Mediterranean: it's full of fibre which can ward off bowel disease
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