Is it better to exercise in the morning or in the evening?

When is the best time to exercise?

This is a simple question, and there are a frustrating number of answers based on potentially completely contradictory research findings.

latest evidence It was announced last month by a group of Australian researchers. we had an argument that night It was the healthiest time to sweat, at least for overweight people. Their study looked at 30,000 obese middle-aged adults and found that those who exercised in the evening were 28 percent less likely to die from any cause than those who exercised in the morning or afternoon. I did.

“We were surprised by the gap,” said Angelo Sabbag, an exercise physiologist at the University of Sydney who led the study. The team was hopeful that the night training would benefit them, but “we didn't expect the risk reduction to be this significant.”

That means evening swimmers and night runner Did you have the right idea all along?

“It hasn't been solved,” says physiologist Julien Zielas of Sweden's Karolinska Institute. “This is an emerging field of research. We haven't done all the experiments. We're learning a lot every month.”

No single study can determine when you should exercise. For many people, the choice comes down to fitness goals, work schedules, and old-fashioned preferences. That said, depending on what you want to accomplish, certain times of the day may have some advantages.

For morning exercise

According to the 2022 survey, morning exercise may be particularly beneficial for heart health.that It may also lead to improved sleep quality.

When it comes to weight loss, there's a good discussion about morning workouts. last year, Research published in Obesity The researchers found that people who exercised between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. had a lower BMI than those who exercised in the afternoon or evening, unlike an Australian study that followed participants over a long period of time. Didn't track over time. Average 8 years.

Of course, the biggest argument for morning exercise may be purely practical. “For many people, morning is more convenient,” says Shawn Youngstead, an exercise science professor at Arizona State University.Even if I wake up early for training It may be difficult at firstYour morning workout won't get in the way of your Zoom meetings, playdates, or your latest Netflix binge.

For afternoon practice

Some small studies suggest that the optimal training time, at least for elite athletes, may be the most inconvenient time for many of us.

Body temperature is low in the morning and peaks in the late afternoon, which affects athletic performance. Some recent small studies in competitive athletes suggest that it lowers body temperature. reduce performance (But warm-up exercise ) and afternoon training will help them play better and sleep longer.

If you have time, A small study conducted in New Zealand I find that taking a nap first helps. As far as the rest of us are concerned, Study of 92,000 Chinese people It turns out that the best time to train your heart is between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

“The main difference is the population,” Dr. Sabbag says. His study was limited to obese people, whereas the Chinese study was not. “People who are obese may be more sensitive to the effects of the time of day they exercise,” he says.

For night exercise

This latest study may not settle the debate, but it does suggest that people who suffer from obesity may benefit from training later.

When you exercise, insulin is released even more effective It lowers blood sugar levels and prevents weight gain and common type 2 diabetes. devastating Consequences of obesity.

“Insulin resistance is highest in the evening,” says Dr. Sabbag. “So if we can compensate for natural changes in insulin sensitivity through exercise, we can lower blood sugar levels and protect against diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” he explained.

One of the persistent concerns about exercising at night is that strenuous exercise can disrupt sleep. but, Some experts claim These concerns are overblown.

Cases that may not be related

Many of these studies are interesting, but none are conclusive. First, most researchers simply show a correlation between exercise time and health benefits, but don't specify the cause.

“The ultimate study would be to actually randomly assign people to different times,” Youngstead says, but this would be incredibly expensive and difficult for academics.

One thing public health experts agree on is that most Americans are too sedentary. And that any movement is a good movement.

“Exercise whenever you can,” Dr. Sabbag recommended. “That's the answer.”

Bodybuilder, actor and former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger seemed to agree, in the latest edition of his newsletter discussing the Australian study.he quoted 2023 survey This suggests that there is actually no difference in results depending on what time of day you exercise. In either case, it's all about what's best for you.

“I will continue my training in the morning,” the former Mr. Universe wrote. “For me it’s automatic.”

Alexander Nazaryan is a science and culture writer who likes to run in the evenings.