Weekend warrior workout: 10 exercises to reduce disease risk

Do you hardly get time to do some physical activity throughout the day? While some people stay physically inactive all year round, others take at least 30-40 minutes to sweat it out but if you only get time on weekends, there is some good news for you! Turns out, cramming the recommended amount of exercise into your weekend can still reduce disease risk. If you can compensate for the lost workout during the weekends or two days you get off, you can still be healthy. Weekend warrior workout is easy to incorporate into your life, and you get the same health benefits as people who are regularly active, as per a new study.

Who is a weekend warrior?

A weekend warrior is someone who engages in physical activities, like exercising or sports, mainly on the weekends, rather than spreading them throughout the week. They usually have busy schedules during weekdays (e.g., work or family responsibilities), making it difficult to exercise regularly. “Weekend warriors often engage in intense, longer sessions of physical activities to compensate for the lack of exercise during the weekdays,” says fitness expert Yash Agarwal.

Doing weekend warrior workout can lower disease risk: Study

Even if you cannot exercise every day, exercising every weekend can help you stay fit and healthy. A study, published in the Circulation journal in September 2024, found that weekend warriors had a lower risk of developing over 200 diseases compared to inactive people. The list of diseases included hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, and mood disorders. Those who managed to do at least 150 minutes of exercise were labelled as regular exercisers if their workout routine was spread out. Weekend warriors came under the category of people who crammed their 150 minutes of exercises into just one or two days in a week. Participants who did less than 150 minutes of exercises a week came under the inactive group. The study, which had nearly 90, 000 participants, showed that the total amount of exercise people got was more important than how frequently they worked out.

Another study, published in August 2024 in Nature Aging, showed that the weekend warrior workout pattern was associated with lower risks of stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and depressive disorders.

You may also like

Another study, published by the JAMA Network in 2023, showed that exercises concentrated within one to two days were linked with similarly lower risk of cardiovascular outcomes to more evenly distributed physical activity.

So, if you are a weekend warrior, make sure that at least 150 minutes of exercises are well spread over the weekend. “You would need to exercise for about one to two hours on Saturdays and Sundays,” says physiotherapist and fitness expert Dr Aijaz Ashai.

Weekend warrior workout: 10 exercises you must try

Here are some of the exercises that you can include in your weekend warrior workout to up your fitness game:

1. Running

• Start by walking at a pace you are comfortable with.
• Increase the speed of walking then start running for 30 to 60 minutes.

“Running can improve your cardiovascular health, burn calories, and help in boosting your mood,” says Dr Ashai.

2. Jumping jacks

• Stand upright, and jump while spreading your legs apart.
• Raise your arms above your head while doing jumping jacks.
• Return to the starting position then do two more sets of 30 to 60 seconds.

“It improves cardiovascular endurance, warms up the body, and enhances coordination,” says Agarwal.

3. Squats

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, and lower your body by bending your knees while keeping your back straight.
• Return to the starting position then do two more sets of 15 reps.

Squats can strengthen the legs, glutes, and core; improve posture and flexibility.

4. Plank

• Lie with your face down, and raise your body on your forearms and toes.
• While doing the plank, keep your body straight, and hold the position.
• Do three sets of 30 to 60 seconds to build core strength, improve your posture, and enhance your stability.

5. Push-ups

• To do push-ups, a strength training exercise, start with a plank position.
• Lower your body to the ground while bending your elbows, and then push back up.
• You need to do three sets of 10 to 15 reps for strong chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.

6. Lunges

• Stand with your feet together to do lunges then take one step forward.
• Lower your hips until both your knees are at a ninety-degree angle then go back to the starting position.

“Do three sets of 12 reps per leg,” says Agarwal. Lunges can improve your leg strength, balance as well as hip flexibility.

7. Burpees

• Start in a standing position, and squat down.
• Jump back into a plank position then do a push-up.
• Jump forward, and leap into the air. Three sets of 10 reps should be enough.

It improves strength, endurance, and coordination.

8. Jump rope

• Hold a jump rope handle in each hand, swing it around and jump over it repeatedly.
• “Three sets of 2 to 5 minutes can boost your cardiovascular health, improve coordination, and burn calories,” says Agarwal.

9. Deadlifts

• To do deadlifts, stand with feet hip-width apart, and lift weights from the ground while keeping your back straight.
• Bring down the equipment, and do two more sets.

This exercise can strengthen your back, glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles.

10. Mountain climbers

• Start in a plank position to do mountain climbers, and bring one of your knees towards your chest.
• Then switch legs quickly.

Do 3 sets of 30 to 60 seconds to enhance cardiovascular endurance, core strength, and agility.

Even if you do not exercise every day, make sure to be a weekend warrior. You don’t have to exercise regularly, as being a weekend warrior can help to reduce disease risk too. However, do not forget to consult with your healthcare provider to avoid any complications.