The Impact of Workout Timing and Regularity on Heart and Lung Health: How Consistency Matters in Exercise for Cardio-respiratory Fitness
A growing body of research indicates that the circadian rhythm, which governs the body's natural sleep-wake cycle, plays a significant role in an individual's overall health. Disruptions to this rhythm have been linked to a higher risk of various health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, and certain types of cancer.
Beyond its impact on sleep, the circadian rhythm also influences when people perform daily activities, such as exercise. A new study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise suggests that older adults who workout at the same time every day may experience improvements in their cardiovascular and lung health as they age.
The researchers recruited 800 older adults with an average age of 76 for their study. Participants wore wrist-worn accelerometers for seven days to track their daily activity levels and 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," said study co-author Karyn Esser, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Physiology and Aging in the College of Medicine at the University of Florida. "Higher values are strongly associated with longer lifespan and lower mortality risks."
The study found that participants who had the most activity during their active hours of the day, relative to their resting time, and whose maximum activity occurred earlier in the day were associated with better cardiorespiratory fitness and walking efficiency.
"We found that earlier peak activity was associated with better outcomes even when you take into account the amount of activity," Esser explained. "This suggests that getting moving earlier in the day could provide a health benefit. In addition, we found that the amplitude of the activity, or amount of activity during the day, was also healthy — maybe not such a surprise."
The study also observed that a greater consistency in daily activity patterns, with the highest activity time occurring at the same time every day, was associated with better health outcomes. "This was an interesting finding, as again, we took into account the amount of activity, so this is saying that being consistent with your activity pattern is an additional parameter of your activity that likely contributes to healthy outcomes," Esser said.
Older adults are living longer but not necessarily healthier, and so it is important to find ways to help them maintain or improve their health as they age, according to Esser. "We suggest that the earlier time of activity and repeatability of the activity provide benefits in addition to just the activity alone," she concluded. "Lastly, we propose that the timing and reproducibility of the activity are working with our intrinsic circadian clock system to maintain health."
The study also found that replacing sedentary time with physical activity, incorporating exercise into daily routines, and exercising at consistent times of the day can help establish a routine and improve adherence. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be particularly effective for older adults, as it improves cardiometabolic health parameters and quality of life. While optimal timing can vary based on individual schedules and preferences, exercising at consistent times of the day can help establish a routine and improve adherence.
- The circadian rhythm, influencing activities like exercise, has been linked to better cardiorespiratory fitness and walking efficiency in seniors, as indicated by a new study in the field of medicine and science in sports and exercise.
- Improvements in heart and lung health are associated with older adults who workout at the same time every day, according to a study on seniors with an average age of 76, led by Karyn Esser, PhD.
- Exercising at consistent times of the day, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), can establish a routine and improve adherence, thereby contributing to health-and-wellness in seniors, as suggested by Esser.
- Aging adults are living longer but may not necessarily be healthier, and so it is crucial to find ways to maintain or improve their general health through fitness-and-exercise, as stated by Esser.
- A greater consistency in daily activity patterns, along with the highest activity time occurring at the same time every day, is linked to better health outcomes, as observed in the study on aging adults.
- Disruptions to the circadian rhythm, which governs the body's natural sleep-wake cycle, have been associated with several health conditions in seniors, including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, and certain types of cancer.
