Although exercise at any time is beneficial, new research has found that mid-day exercise is linked to a lower risk of death from heart disease and cancer. Exercise doesn’t need to be organized to be beneficial. Even Friday walked around the block the most.
If you exercise at lunchtime, there may be times, perhaps when you unpack the sweaty clothes from your gym bag each evening, when you wonder if it’s worth it. But the results of a new study of more than 90,000 people may encourage you to keep fighting: Exercising in the afternoon reduces the risk of early death more than physical activity in the morning or evening.
The study, published on February 18 in the journal Nature Communications, provides strong evidence that non-drug therapy such as physical activity makes a difference in health outcomes. The study ultimately showed that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was associated with a lower likelihood of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer. It’s not just about weight, but also about living for overall health.
Moderate to vigorous exercise reduces the risk of death from all causes, heart disease and cancer
To examine the relationship between exercise, exercise duration, and overall risk of death, and death from specific causes, researchers used health and demographic data to target 92,000 people in a UK biomedical database. All participants wore an accelerometer for a week, which tracked the time of day they exercised and the intensity of their effort.
After collecting this data, the researchers placed the participants into one of four groups based on when they exercised:
In the morning, from 5 am to 11 am.
Friday, 11 am to 5 pm.
in the evening, from 5 pm to midnight.
A group that does not show a preferred time and exercises at different times of the day throughout the week.
After an average of 7 years, the researchers checked the participants’ death records. A total of 3088 participants (3.4%) died; 1,076 (1.2%) died of heart disease and 1,872 (2%) died of cancer.
People who exercise in the afternoon have a lower risk of early death than those who exercise in the morning or evening
The authors found that moderate to vigorous exercise at any time of day was more effective than no exercise in reducing the risk of death from all causes, heart disease and cancer.
The effects are not the same for everyone
People who exercise in the middle of the day and those who change exercise times frequently from day to day have a lower risk of death, overall and from heart disease than people who train in the evening and in the morning. The authors conclude that exercise time can increase the health benefits of daily physical activity.
The general results of this large study are consistent with what researchers already know: The more you live, the healthier you are. But these results also provide additional insights into the best time of day when most people indulge in MVPA to live.
Theoretically, it makes sense that daily exercise reduces the risk of death from heart disease and death from other causes. Vigorous physical activity done early in the morning is known to increase the risk of a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke, compared to exercise done at other times of the day, and exercise Exercising at night can lead to sleep disturbances. bad effects on the mind.
Who benefits the most from daytime workouts?
The reduced risk of death from heart disease associated with daytime exercise is especially strong in men, the elderly, inactive people, and people with pre-existing heart disease. the researcher noted. Retirees, people with heart problems or obesity often choose to exercise in the afternoon because that’s when they feel the best. They have had their breakfast, their medicine, their bodies are not sore.
Circadian rhythms may be linked to why exercising during the day provides more benefits
Although the study was not conducted to find out why exercise time may affect early death, the study authors believe that it may be related to our body’s personal rhythms, which are physical, mental and behavioral patterns. that follows a 24-hour route. Circadian rhythms may be key. We have spikes in blood pressure and other hormones like cortisol in the morning, and similar spikes at bedtime. Perhaps we are meant to be the most productive self outside of these mountains. In the afternoon, the body has time to adapt to the day. Our metabolism is in the afternoon: the heart, blood vessels, hormones, muscles, joints and nervous system are also working optimally, and we tend to eat well at this time. The afternoon is therefore the best time of the day for vigorous exercise because all these processes work optimally.
Morning exercise can be more effective in reducing sleep
While very important, this study is not the first to suggest that the health benefits of exercise may be time-dependent. A study published in the December 2020 issue of Physiological Reports found that people at risk or diagnosed with type 2 diabetes improved their blood sugar control more if they exercised between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. than if they do it in the morning.
Exercise time can also influence how our body burns energy and builds muscle. In a small study published in the May 2022 issue of Frontiers in Physiology, researchers found that morning exercise in women reduced total body fat and abdominal fat and increased lower leg muscle strength. Evening exercise in women significantly increases upper body strength, power, and endurance.
In men, evening exercise increases fat oxidation and reduces fatigue. Another study has shown a similar improvement in sleep quality after morning exercise and improvement in exercise and exercise in the evening or evening.
Bottom Line: Exercise at a time that fits your lifestyle.
All experts agree: The best time to exercise is when you can.
Tips for living more in the afternoon
Rule number one: Exercise doesn’t need to be organized. Just move. Take the stairs on your lunch break, take a Sun dial while you travel, host a dance party with the kids. Do what you can, and that’s all that matters.
