You’re always so busy during the day that when evening comes you’re too tired to exercise. So you decide to wait for the weekend and work out extra hard to make up for it. But is that a good idea?
This week on “Take Care,” health writer Gretchen Reynolds discusses the dangers of being a “weekend warrior.” Reynolds writes for The New York Times “Well Blog” and is the author of the book “The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer.”
Weekend warriors have the tendency to push themselves when exercising to make up for the workouts they missed during the week. However, Reynolds says this practice can strain your muscles because they don’t get the chance to grow stronger in a consistent way.
“It’s better to do something on some day, in terms of physical activity, than to do nothing,” Reynolds said.
Weekend warriors have high instances of injures such as straining knees or spraining ankles. But Reynolds says the health risks can be even more serious than that.
“People who go out and suddenly run on the weekend really hard are at much higher risk at having a heart attack during that run than at any other time during the week.”
The more frequently you stress your muscles, the stronger they become and the less likely you are to injure yourself. Similarly, not exercising regularly puts a strain on your heart and can cause a heart attack.
Reynolds recommends trying exercise once or twice during the week to keep your muscles in shape. It doesn’t have to be as intensive as your weekend routine, she says. And you’ll maintain your fitness and be a much better athlete on the weekend.