Hypertension, diabetes, obesity, sleep apnea… Exercising is associated with a lower risk of developing 264 pathologies.
- Exercising regularly or on weekends reduces the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and sleep apnea.
- “When weekend and regular physical activity were directly compared, there were no conditions for which the effects differed significantly,” according to the authors.
- Faced with these results, they advise encouraging patients to practice physical activity “in accordance with recommendations using the model that suits them best.”
In terms of physical activity, health authorities recommend practicing moderate to intense physical activity for at least 150 minutes per week to stay healthy. However, among people who meet these recommendations, do those who exercise for 20 to 30 minutes most days of the week experience the same health benefits as those who exercise longer sessions every 5 or 6 days, like weekends? This is the question that researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (United States) wanted to answer in a study published in the journal Traffic.
Measure the physical activity of 89,573 people using accelerometers
As part of the work, the authors analyzed information from 89,573 people wearing wrist accelerometers who recorded their total physical activity and time spent at different exercise intensities over a week. Participants’ physical activity habits were categorized as “weekend exerciser,” “regular,” or “inactive,” using the recommendation-based threshold of 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity. The team then looked for links between physical activity habits and the incidence of 678 pathologies in 16 types of diseases, notably mental, digestive and even neurological health.
Obesity, hypertension, diabetes: fewer risks for weekend and regular athletes
According to the results, compared to inactivity, weekend and regular athletes had a lower risk of developing more than 200 diseases. Associations were strongest for cardiometabolic diseases, such as hypertension (23% and 28% lower risks over a median of 6 years with weekend and regular physical activity habits, respectively), diabetes (lower risks of 43% and 46% respectively), obesity, and sleep apnea. “When weekend and regular physical activity were directly compared, there were no conditions in which the effects differed significantly. This may be the total amount of activity rather than the model that matters most”, can we read in the research.
In the conclusions, the professors highlight the need for future interventions aimed at testing the effectiveness of concentrated activity to improve public health. “Patients should be encouraged to engage in physical activity as recommended using the pattern that best suits them.”
