People with type 2 diabetes who engage in just two workouts a week are 33% less likely to die from heart complications, a new study has revealed.
A team of researchers has found that exercising only on the weekend can still protect people with the condition from an early death.
This study emphasises the importance of any exercise for people with type 2 diabetes, highlighting that it is better to engage in a little rather than none.
As part of the trial, the researchers examined 51,650 adults, all of whom were living with type 2 diabetes.
Official health guidelines currently advise people to engage in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) spread out across at least three days.
Each person was placed into one of four groups depending on how much exercise they do a week: inactive, insufficiently active (MVPA less than 150 minutes per week), weekend warrior (MVPA 150 or more minutes per week across one to two sessions) and regularly active (MVPA 150 or more minutes per week across at least three sessions).
The findings have shown that participants in the inactive group were at the greatest risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality compared to those in any of the other groups.
Participants who only workout at the weekend had a 21% lower all-cause mortality risk and a 33% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality compared to the inactive participants.
Read more in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
