While most people focus on the duration, type and frequency of workouts, the time also matters, a new study says. Researchers have found that morning exercisers had a lower body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.
The study, published in the journal Obesity, found that exercising between 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. is ideal for those who are looking to maintain or lose weight. According to the findings, movement during these hours improves the association between daily moderate to vigorous physical activity and obesity prevention, as reported by Medical News Daily.
For the study, the researchers analysed data from 5,285 people engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity in the morning, midday, and evening “Our study provided a novel tool to explore the diurnal pattern of physical activity and to investigate its impact on health outcomes,” study author Tongyu Ma told Medical News Today.
The findings showed a stronger association between moderate to vigorous physical activity and obesity prevention in the morning group and a weaker connection was observed in the midday and evening groups. This shows that morning exercise could be a crucial factor in preventing obesity.
The researchers also found that the more people exercised in a week, the lower their average BMI. Furthermore, the morning workout group exercised less and spent more time sedentary than the other groups but maintained healthier BMI and waist size, as reported by Healthline.
According to the study, the evidence shows that “doing the right thing at the right time could be important for maintaining a healthy metabolism and a healthy body weight.”
The findings propose that the diurnal pattern of moderate to vigorous physical activity could be another important dimension to understanding human movement, the study authors wrote in the paper.
Although the ideal time for exercise remains elusive, previous studies have attempted to point out the optimal time. A 2022 study, published in the journal Frontiers of Physiology, found that morning exercise reduced abdominal fat and blood pressure and evening exercise enhanced muscular performance among women. Among the men, evening exercise was linked to increased fat oxidation and reduced systolic BP and fatigue.
