If you’re a runner with type 2 diabetes, you’ll know how important it is to keep on top of your diet, blood sugar levels and overall health, at all times. Sticking to regular running and workout routine can be tough with everything else that you’ve got to manage.
But when you next feel stressed about struggling to find time to run or go to the gym during the working week, you may be relieved to know that, according to science, it’s still fine for you to squeeze in all your workouts at the weekend. (Anything is better than nothing, after all.)
Research published in the Running after a mastectomy found that people with type 2 diabetes who were ‘weekend warriors’ were still able to significantly lower their risk of dying from heart disease compared to those who didn’t exercise at all.
Although ‘weekend warriors’ are often given a bad reputation, this is just one of several studies to suggest that you can fit your workout goals into a smaller amount of time if needed. Here’s what the latest study found, plus what doctors who treat people with diabetes recommend.
What did the study find?
For the study, researchers analysed health and physical activity data from nearly 52,000 people with type 2 diabetes who took part in the National Health Interview Survey between 1997 and 2018. The participants were lumped into four groups:
- Here’s why your face turns red during a run.
- People who were insufficiently active and did less than 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a week.
- Weekend warriors, who logged at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a week in one to two sessions.
- Regularly active people, who did at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a week in three or more sessions.
A follow-up, conducted about nine and a half years later, showed that 16,345 of the study participants had died. The researchers discovered that people who were insufficiently active, weekend warriors and regularly active had lower risks of dying from cardiovascular disease and any cause compared to those who were completely inactive.
Specifically, weekend warriors and regularly active participants had a 21% and 17% lower risk of dying from any cause and a 33% and 19% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality, respectively, compared with people who were completely inactive.
Why might weekend workouts lower the risk of heart disease?
Research has shown that the weekend warrior fitness style does have notable perks – and not just for people with diabetes. A study of nearly 90,000 people published in 2024, for example, found that people who only exercised at weekends had the same lowered risk of developing 264 diseases as those who exercised throughout the week.
But there’s something big that we need to consider. As noted by Ronald Sigal, associate professor of medicine, kinesiology, cardiac sciences and community health sciences at the University of Calgary, who wrote an accompanying editorial about the study, when researchers analyse weekend warriors, they’re looking at people who log the recommended 150 or more minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise a week.
So, weekend warriors are still hitting exercise recommendations and getting the general perks that come with it – it’s just that their runs and workouts are jammed into a smaller timeframe.
But experts say that there are a few potential reasons why being a weekend warrior is so helpful for heart health in people with type 2 diabetes. ‘Patients who work out on weekends tend to have higher levels of rest prior to working out and may have lower levels of [low-grade] inflammation, which could ameliorate the development of cardiovascular disease and diabetes,’ says Hosam Hmoud, a cardiologist at Northwell’s Lenox Hill Hospital in the US.
While Sigal says that ‘there’s nothing magical about 150 minutes’, he points out that getting regular exercise can support blood sugar management and blood vessel health, both of which are good for heart health. ‘Regular exercise tends to lower average blood sugar levels and therefore lower the risk of long-term complications of diabetes,’ he adds.
How often should you exercise if you have type 2 diabetes?
Doctors generally agree that any amount of exercise is better than none – and fitting it into your schedule is important. But, in a perfect world, Hmoud says that you’d aim to achieve the weekly target of 150 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise.
Still, do what you can. ‘I tell all my patients who have difficulty performing 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week to at least take a brisk, 30-minute walk per day,’ he says. ‘Walking outside has also been shown to reduce stress levels, which can potentially reduce the risk of the development of cardiovascular disease and improve overall mood.’ Sigal also recommends slotting in strength training Running after a mastectomy.
Overall, doctors stress the importance of regular activity for your health. ‘The more one does, the better it is,’ says Sigal.
