The best time to exercise has always been a debatable topic in the fitness and scientific community.
The 'early birds' say morning is the best time to exercise. They believe exercising in the morning is the best way to kickstart your day and is great for aerobic or cardiovascular exercises. Some people, on the other hand, believe evening is the best time to work out as it sinks with the circadian rhythm, and they're also done with work. However, a recent study has revealed the best time to work out. It's neither morning nor evening. It's the AFTERNOON!
The study titled "Association of the timing of physical activity with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a prospective cohort study". The research was published in the journal Nature Communications. The study examined 92000 individuals and their demographic and health data from a UK biomedical database.
Accelerometers were given to the participants to keep a track of when and how intensely they worked out over seven days. The researchers observed the mortality statistics over several years and discovered that over 3000 (3%) of the participants had passed away. Approximately 1000 had passed away from heart disease and 1800 from cancer.
The researchers pointed out with the help of statistics that afternoon coincides with the time of the day when people are least likely to suffer a heart attack. They also found a correlation between midday exercise and better odds of living a longer life.
Researchers also found out that the people who frequently engaged even in moderate exercises like brisk walking, irrespective of the time of the day, lived longer than the people who rarely worked out. Although the participants were elderly, males, and less physically active, they found out that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity could have the "potential to improve public health."
(Input from various media sources)