When is it better to exercise: in the morning or in the afternoon? – 12/11/2023 – Balance
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To control sugar and improve cardiovascular health, studies recommend exercising in the afternoon
Our current lifestyle has led us to eliminate physical activities that our grandparents used to do, such as working in the fields. To make matters worse, we replace them with sedentary activities like watching television on the couch.
This has generated a worrying problem in Spain: in the last 30 years, the incidence of diseases such as diabetes and cholesterol has doubled, according to data revealed by the Encuesta Europea de Salud 2020.
This alarming increase forces us to rethink our lifestyles and explore solutions that improve our well-being. One of them, which is within everyone’s reach, is as simple as it is effective: exercising.
Today, exercise is considered as medicine, as it is capable of bringing improvements to a wide spectrum of diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases or cancer. However, not everyone has the same energy throughout the day.
Some have a spike in energy in the morning, which makes them feel more willing to exercise in the early hours of the day. Others prefer to take advantage of the afternoon or evening to give their all to their exercise routines.
So a natural question arises: is exercise done in the morning as beneficial as exercise done in the afternoon? This question has become a topic of great interest in the scientific community.
To control sugar and improve cardiovascular health, exercise in the afternoon
In recent years, there has been an accumulation of scientific evidence comparing the effects of morning versus afternoon exercise. A recent meta-analysis evaluated the combined effect of nine studies in which a total of 450 people participated. The results reveal that late exercise is more beneficial for cardiovascular health.
The conclusion was reached after observing a large reduction in blood triglyceride levels after afternoon exercise. Physical activity at this time is also the best option to reduce tension in people with high blood pressure.
As if that weren’t enough, in people with type 2 diabetes, late exercise is more effective in controlling blood sugar levels.
It is important to point out that this line of study is very recent and that exercise is always beneficial, regardless of when it is done.
Those who don’t have the flexibility to choose when to exercise can continue doing so in the morning. And, in this case, you will get the extra benefits of improving your attention span, memory and decision-making.
Tips for choosing the best time to train
There are also studies that suggest that exercising in the afternoon may have a slightly greater effect on weight loss. This is because, apparently, physical activity at the end of the day seems to reduce appetite.
However, it is crucial to understand that exercise alone is not the best strategy for weight loss. Therefore, if the main objective is to lose weight, exercise must be accompanied by a nutritional plan, regardless of the time at which it is practiced.
When we exercise in the afternoon, the choice of type of exercise is relevant. It is best to avoid vigorous activities and heavy training in the hours before sleep as this could affect the quality and duration of sleep.
To ensure restful sleep, it is recommended to leave a gap of at least two hours between exercise and bedtime. This contributes to a more effective and healthy night’s rest, something very relevant for people who have sleep problems.
* Professor and researcher in health sciences at Loyola Andalusia University
**This article was published on The Conversation and reproduced here under a Creative Commons license. Click here to read the original version in Spanish.
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