Can Weekend Warriors Tackle Weight Loss?

Wise & Well Weekly: The newsletter helping you make tomorrow a little better than today

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Welcome back to your weekly dose of wisdom and wellness, with science-backed insights you can use to improve your physical, mental and emotional well-being. We have an abundance of cautionary and uplifting health and wellness articles below on everything from Parkinson’s disease to low back pain, finding joy to understanding your poop. But first…

THIS WEEK’S SPOTLIGHT

Exercise is often billed as a way to lose weight, and while there are no silver bullets, it’s well established that physical activity combined with good eating habits can help a person achieve and maintain a healthy weight. With that backdrop, a new study asked whether frequency of activity matters. Here’s what the researchers report in the April 2024 issue of the journal Obesity:

Weekend warriors, defined as people who tend to cram their exercise into one or two days per week, can achieve similar weight loss to people exercising regularly — so long as they get in the suggested healthy minimums of at least 150 minutes per week (2.5 hours) of moderate activity or 75 minutes done vigorously. (Moderate activity is somewhere between “conversation is easy” and “you can hear your breathing but you’re not out of breath.” See my in-depth explanation: What the Heck is ‘Moderate or Vigorous’ Physical Activity?)

The type of activity almost doesn’t matter: hike, run, bike, climb, dance or shoot some hoops. Even pickleball can achieve the “moderate to vigorous” threshold, previous research has indicated.

Image: Unsplash/Venti Views

The finding, which does not proof of cause-and-effect, adds to a growing body of recent research on the weekend warrior approach suggesting we should worry less about when and how we exercise, and prioritize doing what we can, when we can. Cramming fitness efforts into the weekend, doing it in daily 22-minute increments, or spreading it out in small batches throughout the day all promote better physical health, mental health and longevity, as I’ve written before.

The takeaway from the new study:

“Any activity is better than no activity,” said study team member Beverly Tchang, MD, an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York who was not involved in the research. “Notably, the weekend warriors’ workout was of higher intensity and longer duration, and more intensity and longer duration correlated with even lower abdominal fat. The main takeaway, though, is that people should be active in any manner that suits their lifestyle.”

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HEALTHY READING

A selection of this week’s informative and insightful Wise & Well articles on Medium (the links provide you with the full stories even if you’re not a Medium member):

The Agony of Empathy in a World on Fire
Empathy is essential for human connection, but it can leave us pained, enraged, or grief-stricken when we learn of another domestic shooting, far-off war or deadly natural disaster. This therapist explains how all this plays out in our minds, and how to benefit from empathy while mitigating the drawbacks — without being an uncaring person.
 — By Giana Porpiglia, LMHC

Misinformation Fuels Measles Comeback
A spike in global measles outbreaks and deaths is staggering, a CDC expert says. This pediatrician explains how the US had become measles-free and why cases are rising, and everything parents need to know about the vaccination.
 — By Eric J. Kort MD

Don’t Wait to Treat Low Back Pain
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating and preventing low back pain. But there are well-researched fundamentals to focus on, and the sooner you start, the better, statistics show. This physical therapist explains the options, and what you might be able to do on your own to alleviate your pain.
— By Zachary Walston, PT, DPT, OCS

New Hope for Parkinson’s Patients
People with this debilitating disease describe a rigidity in their limbs that makes them feel like the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz or C-3PO in Star Wars. Though there’s no cure, a growing body of evidence indicates yoga can improve overall body function and reduce anxiety and depression. And the latest research offers new understanding that could lead to even better preventive measures.
 — By Kathleen Murphy

Syphilis Is Making a Huge Comeback. Are You at Risk?
Experts are calling the re-emergence of syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease, an epidemic. It can be devastating if untreated, but is easily curable in early stages. Here’s how to understand your risk — and whether you might already be infected and not know it — and protect yourself.
 — By Andrea Romeo RN, BN

Can Lifestyle Choices Really Prevent Dementia?
Medications have yet to solve the growing problem of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Exercise, improved diet and other behavioral changes are often proposed as the better remedy. And while healthy habits and behaviors are good for your physical and mental well-being and can “make your time on this planet more meaningful and rewarding,” this psychologist and neuroscientist argues that lifestyle changes are oversold as dementia salves, creating false hope.
— By John Kruse MD, PhD

Joy Can Be So Simple
But sometimes you have to be hit over the head to realize what you have. This writer shares her experience coming to in an ambulance: “I acknowledged in a fog of helpless surrender. This was a rare and yearned-for sensation for this business-owner, Type-A, control freak.” What happened during recovery, including the parts that never recovered, changed her life.
— By Nadine Shaalan

Alcohol and Drugs Rewire Your Brain and Change How Your Genes Work
A popular misconception is that addiction is a result of low willpower. But the latest research finds a strong neurobiological and genetic bias, with recent data suggesting alcohol and drugs of abuse change how genes express themselves, altering how the brain experiences pleasure and even how it manages memory. Reducing consumption can help stabilize the brain and bring long-lasting physical and mental health benefits.
— By Karla Kaun

How to Spot and Avoid Burnout Before it Ruins Your Life
I ignored the signs of burnout until one important day, the meltdown happened. New research identifies signs of looming burnout, and how to avoid what I experienced. The researchers created a Burnout Assessment Tool that can reveal if you’re on the verge. Take the simple online test to see how you’re doing, then lean into these proven prevention strategies.
— By Robert Roy Britt

And from our sister publication, Aha! …

How Often Should You Poop?
Your output can say a lot about your overall health, and this doctor explains the surprisingly wide variety of “normal” frequencies, plus what to look for in shape and texture, and when you might want to be concerned.

— By Dr. Julian Barkan

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Wise & Well writers are physicians, psychiatrists, research scientists, dieticians, fitness experts, journalists and other professionals who share their expertise to help you make tomorrow a little better than today. — Rob