Contrary to the traditional belief that morning exercise is most beneficial, a recent study indicates that engaging in physical activity during the evening could offer more advantages, especially for individuals dealing with obesity.
Published in the journal Diabetes Care, the findings were drawn from data collected from wearable devices worn by 30,000 individuals over an almost 8-year period.
Researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia, analyzed the data and discovered that individuals who engaged in moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise, which elevates heart rate, between 6 pm and midnight had the lowest risk of premature death and death from cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Angelo Sabag, a Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at the University of Sydney, highlighted the significance of the study's findings, particularly in the context of the high prevalence of excess weight and obesity in the population. He emphasized the elevated risk of major cardiovascular conditions and premature death associated with obesity.
The study focused not only on structured exercise but also on continuous aerobic exercise lasting for at least 3 minutes at a time. The researchers noted that the frequency of exercise bouts was more important than the total amount of physical activity performed each day.
Additionally, the researchers observed that evening physical activity might help mitigate some of the intolerance and complications linked to diabetes or obesity, particularly glucose intolerance in the late evening, as indicated by previous research.
While acknowledging that exercise alone cannot resolve the obesity crisis, Dr. Sabag underscored the importance of planning physical activity during specific times of the day to mitigate associated health risks, as suggested by the study's findings. "People who can plan their activity into certain times of the day may best offset some of these health risks," she stated.