Exercising twice a week is just as effective as daily exercise

Beijing: A study found that exercising one or two days a week can be just as effective for weight loss as exercising every day.

Lihua Zheng, an assistant professor at the China-based National Center of Cardiology Diseases and study author, said promoting exercise patterns on days off is important for people who find it difficult to meet the recommended guidelines.

In research, exercising one or two sessions a week was just as effective in reducing belly fat, waist circumference and body mass index as going to the gym every day.

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers looked at the relationship between physical activity patterns and the actual amount of body fat.

According to the guidelines given by the World Health Organization, 150 minutes of moderate physical exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous physical exercise should be done in a week. But many people are unable to do so due to their professional or domestic responsibilities.

Leihua Zheng pointed to office workers, bus drivers and other employees who sit in a chair for many hours a day in the study.

He said that these people go through difficulties in following a routine of exercise in their daily life to survive the lazy life but are unable to find time for the gym. This research provides them with an alternative way to stay healthy.

According to Lihua Zheng, these activities (for the weekend warrior, those who exercise once or twice a week) include all activities such as mountain climbing, hiking, cycling or running.