Are you a weekend warrior? 

We get it, the weekdays get busy with family, school and work. Often the weekends are the only time we can dedicate to moving our bodies and getting exercise in. Especially with cooler weather upon us, it is so fun to run a 5K or play golf or pickleball on the weekends with friends. (We’re not the only ones obsessed with pickleball this year, right?)

The big question is – can you improve fitness by only exercising on the weekends? 

First, let’s chat about current exercise recommendations. 

The current exercise recommendations for adults are:

• Aerobic Exercise
  • 150 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week OR
  • 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week
• Strength Training
  • 2 or more sessions per week that work all major muscle groups

So with that, does it matter if all of this exercise occurs on weekends only?

There are plenty of weekend warrior haters who say it is not possible to improve health and fitness if you only exercise on the weekend. In the “perfect” world, we spread our sessions out throughout the week and participate in some form of exercise every day. But, again, we get it – life is just busy sometimes. 

A recent study looked at 350,000 people and their exercise habits. They concluded that adults who achieve the recommended amount of exercise “experience similar health benefits whether the sessions are spread throughout the week or concentrated on a weekend.” Big win for the weekend warriors! 

The sad reality is that only 23% of adults in the United States even meet the exercise recommendations as they stand. If you are meeting these guidelines and most of your exercise is on the weekend, you are doing great! 

The bottom line is move well, move often, and get your exercise in whenever you can!