Our Medical Condition May Dictate a Better Time to Exercise

The New York Times published a recent study, which adds to the growing evidence that the time of day we exercise may affect how we benefit from the exercise. The study involved a group of men who were at high risk for Type 2 diabetes; and suggests at least for some, there is a more effective time to exercise each day. For this particular group, researchers say it was more beneficial to exercise in the afternoon rather than mornings. They found afternoon exercise increased the men’s metabolic health and resulted in an improvement in controlling blood sugar and losing belly fat. 

Research has shown in both animals and people that quality of health is influenced by the chronology of our day. The reason is the body’s tissue “contains a kind of molecular clock that chimes, in part, in response to biological messages related to our daily exposure to light, food and sleep.” Our “cellular clocks” calibrate as to when we do normal biological jobs such as divide cells and refuel, and responsible for the dips and crest we go through each day involving our temperature, hormone levels, blood sugar, blood pressure, etc. 

For other individuals, earlier research suggests exercising in the morning may be more conducive to weight loss and burning body fat. Patrick Schrauwen, a professor of nutrition and movement sciences at Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands, says the most effective exercise regimen for each of us will align “with our daily routines” and exercise inclinations. He adds, “I believe doing exercise is better than not doing exercise, irrespective of timing, because exercise is good for us at any time of day — but only if we opt to keep doing it.”

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