The purpose of this new study was to find the best time of day to do moderate to intense physical activity (MVPA) in order to maintain a healthy weight.
People know that exercise can help them lose weight, keep it off, and improve their health in general. But, the best time of day to work out to get all of these great benefits has been discussed for a long time, which is why the researchers did this study.
A cross-sectional study of 5,285 people who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2003 to 2006 was used to find out how workout time affected weight loss and belly fat loss.
They were split into three groups based on when they worked out: early in the morning (from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.), in the middle of the day (from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), and in the evening (from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.).
They were split into three groups based on when they worked out: early in the morning (from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.), in the middle of the day (from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), and in the evening (from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.).
The end result? The three groups with the lowest amounts of belly fat (measured by waist size) were those who worked out first thing in the morning.
The average waist size of people who worked out in the morning was 91.5 centimeters (36 inches), while it was 95.8 and 95.0 for people who worked out in the afternoon and evening.
Although the study did not examine why working out in the morning could be more effective when it comes to belly fat loss, there are numerous hypotheses.