ISLAMABAD, APRIL 16 (ONLINE): New research indicates that evening exercise may have more health benefits for people who have obesity.
\nObesity increases a person\u2019s risk for several medical conditions including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.<\/p>\n
Scientists have been trying to determine what time of day is best to aid weight loss in people with obesity.
\nResearchers at the University of Sydney have found that getting the majority of daily physical activity during the evening offers the most health benefits for people who have obesity.
\nA new study from researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia, published in the journal Diabetes Care, suggests that getting the majority of daily physical activity during the evening offers the most health benefits for people who have obesity.<\/p>\n
A recent study reports that more than 1 billion peopleTrusted Source in the world are considered to have obesity, with projections that this number could potentially hit 4 billion people by 2050Trusted Source.<\/p>\n
\u201cApproximately two in three Australians have excess weight or obesity, which is a significant risk factor for many chronic illnesses such as diabetesTrusted Source, cardiovascular diseaseTrusted Source, and various types of cancersTrusted Source,\u201d Angelo Sabag, PhD, AEP, researcher and accredited exercise physiologist in the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney in Australia and lead author of this study told Medical News Today.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the key drivers of obesity-related complications is insulin resistance \u2014 a condition which eventually leads to high blood glucose levels and type 2 diabetes. Having high blood glucose levels can cause catastrophic damage to our cardiovascular system and lead to organ failure,\u201d Sabag said.<\/p>\n
Exercising after 6 p.m. linked to lowest risk of death
\nFor this study, Sabag and his team analyzed data from the U.K. Biobank of almost 30,000 people over the age of 40. All participants were considered to have obesity and about 3,000 had type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n
Researchers also had access to wearable device data from all participants which monitored their physical activity levels in the morning, afternoon, and evening, over about eight years.<\/p>\n
At the study\u2019s end, scientists found that people who performed most of their aerobic moderate to vigorous physical activityTrusted Source between 6 p.m. and midnight had the lowest risk of premature death and death from cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n
Both moderate and vigorous physical activity raises a person\u2019s heart and breathing rates. Examples of moderate physical activity include:<\/p>\n
brisk walking
\ndancing
\nmowing the lawn
\nlifting weights
\nswimming
\nTypes of vigorous physical activity include:<\/p>\n
jogging\/running
\nhiking
\nshoveling
\naerobics
\nplaying soccer or basketball<\/p>\n
Late exercise offsets night-time insulin resistance
\nSabag said he and his research team believe their results may be partly explained by the improved cardiometabolic regulationTrusted Source associated with undertaking physical activity during the evening, a theory which is supported by recent clinical studies.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur body is most insulin resistant at night and for those who cannot produce more insulin to compensate \u2014 like some of the people included in our study \u2014 undertaking physical activity at this time may be offsetting some of the natural night-time insulin resistance,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cFurthermore, recent findings from a smaller clinical study showed that exercising later in the day led to greater improvements in blood pressure, which is a significant risk factor for premature death and cardiovascular disease,\u201d Sabag continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cTogether, these theories provide some insight into what may be occurring, but further research is required to gain a more comprehensive understanding of such processes,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
3 minute+ exercise bursts in the evening
\nStudy participant physical tracking did not include just structured exercise \u2014 it focused on tracking any type of continuous aerobic moderate to vigorous physical activity in spurts of three minutes or more.<\/p>\n
The researchers also discovered that the frequency in which participants performed moderate to vigorous physical activity tasks in the evening \u2014 measured in short bursts up to or more than three minutes \u2014 appeared to be more important than the full day\u2019s physical activity total.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhysical activity, whether undertaken as structured leisure-time exercise, or incidental physical activity such as walking up the stairs, elicits profound health benefits,\u201d Sabag explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cRecent research from the Mackenzie Wearables Research Hub has shown that physical activity bouts lasting longer than three minutes are associated with greater health benefitsTrusted Source than shorter bouts. By three minutes, most physical activity is primarily powered through our aerobic system, which when stimulated, can improve various cardiometabolic outcomes,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis finding seems to support the notion that doing multiple bouts of physical activity throughout the day may be more beneficial than accumulating all your physical activity in one block. This finding makes sense from a physiological perspective as repeated muscle contractions throughout the day may facilitate better blood glucose control. Having better glucose controls means less risk of cardiovascular disease, organ failure, and other associated complications.\u201d
\n\u2014 Angelo Sabag, PhD, lead author<\/p>\n
Are short-interval exercises beneficial?
\nAfter reviewing this study, Mir Ali, MD, bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, told MNT he was surprised by the results as he has not seen other studies of this nature.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on this study, it appears frequent bouts of short-interval exercise can be beneficial. So people who cannot get 30 to 60 minutes of structured exercise may be able to do shorter, more intense activity and see beneficial results,\u201d Ali said.<\/p>\n
MNT also spoke with Ryan Glatt, CPT, NBC-HWC, senior brain health coach and director of the FitBrain Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA, who agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe emphasis on the value of short, moderate to vigorous activities in the evening, like walking upstairs or cleaning, suggests a flexible approach to meeting exercise recommendations,\u201d Glatt said.<\/p>\n
Should I only exercise at night?
\nBased on this study, readers may wonder if they should start focusing all their physical activity in the evening hours.<\/p>\n
Glatt said while this study introduces an interesting hypothesis that evening exercise might have unique benefits, it\u2019s crucial to approach such findings with caution.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe significance of exercise timing, particularly favoring the evening, should be scrutinized further before drawing definitive conclusions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor individuals limited to morning or afternoon workouts, there\u2019s no immediate cause for alarm based on this study alone. The broader consensus remains that engaging in regular physical activity, regardless of the time of day, is most important for health.\u201d
\n\u2014 Ryan Glatt, CPT, NBC-HWC<\/p>\n
\u201cFuture investigations should critically assess the purported benefits of evening exercise, seeking to understand the underlying mechanisms and verify these findings across a wider range of populations. Further research is needed to substantiate the claim that the timing of physical activity significantly impacts health outcomes before revising public health advice,\u201d Glatt added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, APRIL 16 (ONLINE): New research indicates that evening exercise may have more health benefits for people who have obesity. Obesity increases a person\u2019s risk for several medical conditions including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. Scientists have been trying to […]<\/p>\n
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