MANY people would agree that the best time to work out is in the morning, but night owls will be relieved to know that this is not necessarily the case.
Experts at the University of Edinburgh found that while early morning workouts are beneficial for morning people, the opposite is true for those who prefer to stay up late and sleep in the next day.
Published in the Open Heart journal, the study found that timing exercise to match a person's chronotype - the natural predisposition to morning or evening alertness - may lower heart disease risk.
The 12-week study tracked 150 participants between the ages of 40 and 60, who had at least one cardiovascular risk, such as high cholesterol or obesity, and led a sedentary lifestyle.
Participants completed a Morningness-Eveningness questionnaire to determine their chronotype, and were then randomly assigned a time to exercise that either matched their chronotype or did not.
While both groups saw several improvements, the researchers found that matching people's workout times with their chronotype resulted in more significant improvements in blood pressure, heart rate variability, aerobic capacity, metabolic markers and sleep quality, compared to mismatched exercise.
It is welcome news for those of us who are looking for another excuse to hit that snooze button.
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