What are your tips for making your workouts more effective?It’s not what you do, it’s when you do it | Fitness

T.Thousands of us have started 2023 with a new exercise program that promises to keep you fit, toned and lean.but the latest The science of chronoexercise (sometimes called time activities) suggests that what really matters is not what you do or how you do it, but when you do it.

Of course, it’s good to move at any time of the day. But now we know that our bodies and brains change over the course of 24 hours, with chemicals, proteins and hormones going up and down almost every hour. So it’s no surprise that a body of new research suggests that exercising at times that are optimal for our bodies’ circadian rhythms can provide additional rewards. Get out early and spend less time at the gym.

a New research published in European Journal of Preventive Cardiology For those of us who want to prevent heart disease and stroke, we’ve found that the best time to exercise is between 8am and 11am, preferably near 11am.

Albalak and her colleagues used heart rate data collected from wrist trackers to monitor 86,657 participants (ages 42-76) over a six-year period. The data showed the same results regardless of individual chronobiology. In other words, owls benefited as much from morning movement as larks. A report from Skidmore College in the United States found that women who exercised in the morning lost more abdominal fat than those who exercised later in the day. It was very possible.

So should we all work out in the morning and lift our legs in the evening? Not so early.with respect to men or those who have them type 2 diabetes, the data shows a different image. Researchers at Skidmore College found that men who exercised later in the day experienced significant decreases in blood pressure, cholesterol, body fat, and fatigue.

There’s another reason women don’t want to shake their booty in the morning and then lie down nicely on the couch. For both men and women, the best time to build and maintain muscle appears to be later in the day. From the age of 30, muscles begin to atrophy, and after the age of 60 this process accelerates. We all need her to lift weights or do strength training at least once a week. Multiple studies suggest that the afternoon and evening are the best times to do this: Our muscles build strength during the day and reach maximum endurance by the late afternoon, You can lift more and for longer. Quite simply, that means building muscle more effectively and efficiently with less effort towards the end of the day. Again, for reasons that are not clear, studies have shown that the benefits of resistance and strength training done in the evening are more pronounced in women.

Thankfully, long weight training sessions are no longer necessary. The current trend of microdosing (10- to 15-minute sessions several times a week) comes after studies showed short, frequent workouts were as effective as his hour-long sessions. arose. Keep atrophied muscles at bay simply by lifting hand weights or using his bands of resistance during his first ten minutes of your favorite TV show. For even greater efficiency, use heavy weights and movements that work multiple muscles at once. Sports scientists call these multi-joint exercises squats, lunges, push-ups, and more.

Again, people with diabetes or pre-diabetes should consider gentle movement after dinner, when glucose tolerance is generally low and large starchy meals can cause blood sugar spikes. Incidentally, there is evidence that exercise in the afternoon is the best for improving blood sugar levels in men with diabetes, and exercise in the morning is the least effective.

The only time period during which exercise is always considered detrimental to health is the hour between midnight and 6am. Alvarak’s study found that movement during these times was associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. increase. A gentle walk won’t hurt, but your body won’t thank you for doing his jack jumping at 3am.

how about stretching? Again, research suggests evening may be a better time. Our joints and muscles become more flexible as the day goes on, reaching a peak at 7pm. Some researchers speculate that the increased flexibility that accompanies dusk may be a result of certain hormones peaking at this time of year, reducing tendon stiffness. , which means you can stretch deeper, increase your range of motion, and reduce your chances of injury. Stretching at night seems to relieve muscle tension and tension the next morning and relaxes the body before bedtime.

If you want to shift your circadian clock, for example to make it easier to get up early in the morning or to overcome jet lag, exercising at certain times of the day can help. According to neuroscientist Jennifer Hayes, Exercising between 7am or 1pm and 4pm will slowly set your body clock backIf your body needs to shift to a later wake-up time, she suggests working out between 7pm and 10pm.

So what would a chrono-inspired day look like? Do some multi-joint strength training and finally stretch before going to bed. But, as Albalak reminds me, the most important thing is to travel regularly during the day and at times that suit your individual schedule.she suggests it retiree, or those with a more flexible schedule, try timed activities. If you’re office-bound, give it a try on the weekend. Hmm. And who doesn’t want that?