A recent study shows that exercising in the morning seems to be the most beneficial, particularly for women.
Researchers from the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands used data from the UK Biobank. The study included 86,657 adults aged 42 to 78, with an average age of 62, 58% of whom were women. During a follow-up of 6 to 8 years, comparing peak activity times within 24 hours, those most active between 8 and 11 a.m. had the lowest risk of heart disease and stroke.
In a second analysis, compared with the reference group, participants who were most active in the early or later morning had an 11% and 16% lower risk of coronary artery disease, respectively. Additionally, compared with the reference group, those who were most active later in the morning had a 17% lower risk of sudden stroke.
The researchers found that this result was particularly pronounced in women. Compared with the reference group, women who were most active in the early or later morning had a 22% and 24% lower risk of coronary artery disease, respectively. Moreover, compared with the reference group, women who were most active later in the morning had a 35% lower risk of sudden stroke.