Exercise protects blood vessels and heart, but when is the most rewarding time for health and wellness?
Recently, a new study published in the international authoritative journal "Diabetes Nursing" shows that:
Exercising after 6 p.m. has the greatest health benefits, with the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease, microvascular disease, and all-cause mortality.
Life Times combines this research with expert opinions to tell you how to maximize the health benefits of exercise.
Exercise after 6 p.m. is a big benefit
Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia analysed data from 29,836 overweight participants with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater.
Depending on the time of exercise, participants were divided into three groups: morning (6-12 pm), afternoon (12-18 pm) and evening (18-24 pm). During a mean 8-year follow-up, a total of 1425 deaths, 3980 cardiovascular events, and 2162 microvascular events were recorded.
The researchers found that compared to the control group:
■ Participants who performed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in the evening were associated with a 61% lower risk of death, a 36% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and a 24% lower risk of microvascular disease;
■ People who exercised in the afternoon were associated with a 40% reduction in the risk of death, and a 16% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease and a 16% reduction in the risk of microvascular disease;
■ Physical activity in the morning was associated with a 33% lower risk of death, a 17% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and a 21% lower risk of microvascular disease.
It is not difficult to find that exercising in the evening has the greatest health benefits. While exercise isn't the only way to tackle obesity, the study does show that those who exercise at certain times of the day may see the greatest health gains, the researchers say.
Evening is the prime time for sports
In addition to its cardiovascular health benefits, there are several benefits to exercising after evening, such as:
- A 2023 study by the University of São Paulo, Brazil, found that for the elderly with high blood pressure, exercising at night is more beneficial than in the morning to lower blood pressure;
- A 2022 study published in the authoritative academic journal Diabetics showed that exercise done in the afternoon or evening can greatly improve blood sugar control and relieve insulin resistance.
Tan Sijie, director of the Physical Fitness Monitoring and Exercise Prescription Research Center of Tianjin University of Physical Education, said that usually after five or six o'clock in the afternoon, the body is full of vitality, which is the golden time for exercise, and the specific reasons are as follows.
No.1
Burning fat
Some people may say that waking up early and exercising on an empty stomach can also help burn calories. As everyone knows, the body temperature is lower in the morning, the joints and muscles are stiff, and the ligament stiffness is 20% higher than in the afternoon.
No.2
Gain muscle
The ability of muscles to contract has a diurnal rhythm, and Tan Sijie said that usually after 5 p.m., the body's ability to take in oxygen increases, which can deliver more oxygen to the muscles in strength training.
At the same time, the peak body temperature is between 4 and 6 p.m., which can reduce muscle viscosity and improve body flexibility.
No.3
More suitable for high-intensity training
Do high-intensity training in the evening or afternoon and perform better than in the morning.
Usually at dusk (17:00~20:00), especially when the sun sets, the body's exercise capacity reaches its peak, muscles and joints are flexible, and the heart rate and blood pressure are relatively stable.
Therefore, if you want to challenge high-intensity exercise, you can arrange it in the evening period.
How to exercise well at night?
Sports provoke a sense of joy and well-being and are addictive. No matter what kind of exercise you have, find one you enjoy, develop an addictive feeling, and then turn exercise into a habit like three meals a day.
In general, adults should accumulate 150~300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, or 75~150 minutes of high-intensity aerobic exercise, and 2~3 times a week of strength exercises.
After a strength workout, there should be a certain amount of fatigue, and the fatigue will basically disappear the next day. The intensity of aerobic exercise, which can be measured by talking during exercise:
- Low intensity, able to speak and sing during exercise;
- Medium intensity, able to speak but not sing;
- High intensity, unable to speak in full sentences.
The temperature is getting higher and higher, and the number of people running at night around me is also increasing. Pay attention to the following details when exercising at night, and the health benefits will be greater.
1. Whether you want to eat first depends on the situation
If you can exercise at 6 p.m., rest for half an hour after moving, and finish dinner before 8 p.m., then there is no problem in exercising first and then eating. If you exercise late and eat later, it is easy to affect your sleep.
Therefore, try to exercise after dinner, but don't eat too much, six to seven percent full.
2. After eating, wait half an hour before moving
After dinner, the volume of the stomach increases significantly, and if you exercise immediately, the blood is redistributed and flows more to the skeletal muscles, which is not conducive to digestion and absorption.
Turbulence during exercise can also stretch the distended stomach, which can easily trigger exercise-induced abdominal pain. After dinner, you may wish to rest for half an hour before exercising.
3. Pay attention to safety in outdoor sports
Taking night running as an example, the outdoor light at night is not particularly sufficient, and it is not suitable for fast interval running, sprint running, etc., and it is easy to fall down due to the lack of visibility of the road.
4. The end time is 1~2 hours away from sleep
Exercising too close to bedtime can adversely affect sleep. It is recommended that the end time of exercise should be at least 1~2 hours away from the sleep time, such as going to bed at 11 o'clock at night, it is best to end the exercise before 9 o'clock at night, and at the latest at 10 o'clock.
5. Generally, do not add meals
If you feel hungry after exercising, you can drink a small glass of yogurt or eat a small amount of fruit. If you run 15~20 kilometers at night, you can add a meal after running, but the food should not be too oily. ▲
Editor of this issue: Zheng Ronghua
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