Blog

Oct 16

If your professional scope includes prevention and performance (or, as we call it, human achievement), you eventually get the impossible question. It doesn't really matter the domain (work, life, hobby, sport) or which of the 5 ELEMENTS for thriving is being discussed; any time a question starts with "what is the best way to...", it's impossible to answer without more (or better) information. For example, one of the most classic, yet totally reasonable impossible questions we often get is: "What's the best exercise?" And while we might occasionally give in to reflex and provide a snarky answer like "any one a person will consistently do", more typically the answer is "it depends" (on the goals, priorities, and limitations), and the conversation navigates to the pursuit of leveling up.

While it's never safe to assume, people MOVE, exercise, and train for all sorts of reasons; lowering health risks in the most time-efficient manner is one of the most common goals. This goal lives somewhere between Level 2 and 3 on the 5-level scale we've outlined below. This goal is so common that it has prompted significant research over the years as exercise scientists try to provide evidence-based answers supporting people who feel time is their biggest barrier. The rise in popularity of high-intensity interval training, which trades intensity for duration, has shown especially great outcomes. Whether it's the increasingly trendy Norwegian 4x4 protocol (4 min on, 3 min off x 4 rounds), which now has its own free app, or any number of other protocols, as shown in this recent review, the approach clearly works.

More recently, another approach has surfaced, which makes a different trade: frequency (instead of intensity) for duration. The idea, often called the Weekend Warrior approach, which we first mentioned in Oct of 2024, compresses a full week's worth of exercise into one or two days. For example, committing 3-5 hours to a challenging day hike on the weekend instead of "walking 30-60 minutes most days of the week", as guidelines often suggest, would be a classic weekend warrior's trade. The results of this trade are also generally positive, with several studies published this year supporting the idea. This study published by the American Heart Association in January showed that as long as the total volume achieved was >= 150 minutes per week, the outcomes for individuals with hypertension were both strongly positive and about the same whether exercise was concentrated into 1-2 days or distributed more evenly throughout the week; about a 30% risk reduction. This review of studies from May shows a similar finding for neuropsychological risks (from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's to depression and anxiety). Even bones and joints fared about the same, although interestingly, those with multiple impacted areas (called musculoskeletal multimorbidity) actually did a bit better using a weekend warrior approach, as shown in this August study. One area that isn't quite as clear, however, relates to sleep.

While a 2025 study showed a clear pattern favoring frequency - those with as little as 10 minutes of daily exercise had improved sleep quality (deep non-REM and REM sleep) compared to weekend warriors - other studies suggest that, in broad terms, anything is still infinitely better than nothing. This study from August, for example, showed that higher volume moderate to vigorous physical activity, regardless of whether it was performed throughout the week or in a concentrated, weekend-warrior pattern, lowered the risk of sleep disorders (to about the same extent) when compared to those who were less active or sedentary. Stay tuned.

So what's the best exercise? 

Impossible as it may seem, if the levels below make sense, the answer is: whatever helps you maintain what you've achieved (today) and/or primes and readies you to pursue the next level. 

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Level 1 - First MOVE: Anything is better than nothing; do it as often as you can. Expect to feel better (e.g., more energy, better mood, better recovery) 

Level 2 - Progress to exercise: Get consistent. Expect to feel consistently better and note some functional changes (e.g., feel stronger or more stable or less winded; see some changes in blood work or blood pressure).

Level 3 - Progress to training: Get a goal and add more "load" (frequency and/or intensity and/or duration) in a measured and preferably tracked way to stimulate growth until that goal is achieved. Expect significant changes in the areas above, and also outwardly, notice changes in muscle mass and how clothes are fitting.

Level 4 - Progress to complete training: Dedicate training blocks to all distinct components of fitness. Expect to be and feel significantly stronger, faster, and more powerful than you have in a while. Expect others to notice. Invite them to join.

Level 5 - Make it a lifestyle: Perform at level 4 so regularly that you feel worse when you don't. You may not even need a training plan because you have an identity and there's no more powerful blueprint than that. Expect to become an inspiration for those around you. Expect them to seek you out for answers. Expect yourself to respond humbly, "It takes dedication, but if I can do it, anyone can".

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Let us know if you're thinking about leveling up and how we can help.

Have a great weekend, 

Mike E.