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Moring… afternoon… evening… when is the best time to exercise? According to a new scientific study reported in The New York Times, the answer might be the afternoon. It all has to do with endogenous circadian rhythm. Did we lose you with the jargon? In layman’s terms this means your internal biological clock. It’s the ticker that regulates your sleep and other bodily functions. The study says the afternoon is when exercise most greatly benefits your circadian rhythms. The study in the Journal of Physiology is titled, “Voluntary scheduled exercise alters diurnal rhythms of behaviour, physiology and gene expression in wild-type and vasoactive intestinal peptide-deficient mice.” To help you understand, your circadian rhythms dictate when you fall asleep and when you wake up. People with ineffective circadian rhythms sleep less and are more susceptible to: - Obesity
- Diabetes
- Certain types of cancer
- Mood disorders
- Depression
What scientists found is that mice that ran during the evening (our afternoon for humans) found their internal clocks ran better and were healthier. So does this mean you should exercise during the afternoon? It’s hard to say. This is just one study that was performed on mice. As an example, another study by Appalachian State University found that people who exercised in the morning had a better night’s sleep. This obviously conflicts with the mice study. Based on personal testimonials, some people swear that morning workouts are the best because it motivates them for the day. Others believe that it’s after work. What is known is that exercise is important. As a tip, you might want to avoid the late-night workouts because it disrupts the sleep cycle. When falling asleep your body needs to be cool. A late-night workout at the gym could make it difficult to fall asleep. To find out if you’re a morning, afternoon or evening person, test out different times of day for working out. Keep notes on how you’re feeling after the workout. It will help you figure out when is the best time for you. As for all the scientific studies, read them with a grain of salt. What you need to do is find a gym and an exercise plan that feels like a good fit. It will ultimately help you decide the best time to exercise. Dave West is the owner of several health clubs in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is a life-long fitness expert and enthusiast. His gyms use a unique blend of training and technology that eliminates the need for personal trainers. You can find out more about his gyms at www.KokoFitAZ.com.
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