To Your Health
July, 2019 (Vol. 13, Issue 07) |
|
|
It's the Right Time to Exercise
By Editorial Staff
Anytime is generally the right time to exercise, with a few common-sense exceptions. Exercising right before bed might make it more difficult to fall asleep, particularly if you're used to eating right after working out.
You also might drink more water while exercising than you lose via sweating, which could make for a long night of ups and downs going to the bathroom. But overall, exercise has profound physical and mental benefits, both short- and long-term, that should make fitness one of your top priorities.
With that said, is there an ideal time to exercise? At a consistent time, suggests research. According to a study published in the journal Obesity, people who exercise at typically the same time every day (or whatever frequency per week) exercise more (minutes per day), and generally work out in the morning. Researchers suggest the combination of consistency and morning performance help exercisers regiment their workout routines and complete them before the rest of their daily responsibilities get in the way, respectively.
In the Obesity study, the researchers analyzed data on 375 people who had lost weight – at least 30 pounds – and kept it off for at least a year. Data on exercise habits, including timing, duration and type, revealed that nearly 70 percent reported a consistent workout time and averaged 350 minutes of exercise per week (compared with only about 285 minutes for exercisers who worked out at inconsistent times).
Almost 50 percent of people who exercised at a consistent time were also early-morning exercisers. However, the researchers are quick to note that working out at around the same time (regardless of time of day) was the most important variable determining how much study participants exercised. In other words, whether you work out at 5 a.m., 5 p.m or any other time of day, pick the time that works for you and exercise at that time – every time. Your body will thank you for it.
