Workout Schedules Don't Affect Cardiovascular Benefits, Study Finds

Whether you make time to work out throughout the week or cram in all your exercise on the weekend might not matter in the long run, according to a new study. 

The "weekend warrior" phenomenon involves athletes hitting the gym one to two days per week, as opposed to people who space out their workouts across four to seven days. While it may seem like less workouts might mean less payoff overall, when it comes to cardiovascular benefits, your workout schedule seemingly doesn't have much of an effect.

Related: A Common Exercise Best Lowers Your Blood Pressure, Study Says

Researchers found that the weekend warrior activity pattern and the active regular activity pattern were both associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events like atrial fibrillation (also known as an arrhythmia), myocardial infarction (a.k.a. a heart attack), heart failure, and stroke. Active regular exercisers had a 19 percent lower risk of arrhythmia, a 35 percent lower risk of heart attack, a 36 percent lower risk of heart failure, and a 18 percent lower risk of stroke when compared to less active people. Active weekend warriors, meanwhile, had a 22 percent lower risk of arrhythmia, 27 percent lower risk of heart attack, 38 percent lower risk of heart failure, and 21 percent lower risk of stroke. 

In the end, the study seemingly shows that getting active—regardless of how often, is good for your health. If you only find one or two days per week to work out, it's still better than nothing. 

Whatever your schedule may be, just try your best to squeeze in workouts whenever you can.