Analysis Reveals Importance of Consistency and Timing in Daily Exercise for Cardiovascular Health
Exercise Timing and Regularity Impact Heart and Lung Fitness Levels
In a study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, researchers found that the consistency and timing of daily physical activity can significantly impact cardiovascular and lung health in older adults.
Specifically, individuals who exercise consistently every day and primarily in the mornings tend to show better heart health, improved lung fitness, and enhanced walking efficiency compared to those who exercise later in the day or less regularly.
The study's lead author, Karyn Esser, a professor at the University of Florida, explained that the recommenced morning exercise aligns with the body's circadian rhythms, which play a key role in overall physiological well-being. This alignment may optimize the health benefits of exercise on cardiopulmonary fitness as people grow older.
Esser's team recruited around 800 older adults with an average age of 76 years. Study participants wore wrist-worn accelerometers for seven days to measure their daily activity, and also underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing to assess their heart and lung health.
"Cardiorespiratory fitness is a measure of how well your heart, lungs, and muscles work together in response to exercise," Esser said. "Higher values are strongly associated with longer lifespan and lower mortality risks."
The study also evaluated participants' walking efficiency, another indicator of healthy aging. "Walking efficiency provides an assessment of how efficiently the body uses energy to walk forward," Esser noted. "The more efficient you are, the farther you can walk. It's another measure of fitness."
Esser and her team found that participants who had the most activity during the active part of their day relative to their daily resting time, and whose maximum daily activity happened earlier in the day, were correlated to better cardiorespiratory fitness and walking efficiency. Earlier peak activity was associated with better outcomes even when taking into account the amount of activity.
Additionally, scientists observed that better health outcomes were correlated to having a greater consistency in daily activity patterns, with the highest activity time happening at the same time every day.
In conclusion, Esser stated that maintaining a daily program of activity that includes attention to the timing and consistency of activity is important for maintaining health as we age. Regular physical activity supports cardiovascular and lung health while aging, improves overall fitness levels, and can positively affect quality of life and reduce the impact of age-related chronic diseases.
Further research is being conducted to determine how the timing and repetition of the activity impact health with aging mechanistically. The study aims to provide tailored exercise recommendations to optimize physiological benefits in the future.
- The consistency and timing of daily physical activity, particularly in the mornings, can have a significant impact on cardiovascular and lung health in seniors.
- Morning exercise, as recommended by researchers, aligns with the body's circadian rhythms to optimize the health benefits of exercise on cardiopulmonary fitness as people grow older.
- A study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise found that individuals who exercise consistently every day and primarily in the mornings tend to show better heart health, improved lung fitness, and enhanced walking efficiency.
- Cardiorespiratory fitness, which is a measure of how well the heart, lungs, and muscles work together in response to exercise, is strongly associated with longer lifespan and lower mortality risks.
- Better health outcomes were correlated to having a greater consistency in daily activity patterns, with the highest activity time happening at the same time every day.
- Maintaining a daily program of activity that includes attention to the timing and consistency of activity is important for maintaining health as we age, as it supports cardiovascular and lung health while aging, improves overall fitness levels, and can positively affect quality of life and reduce the impact of age-related chronic diseases.
