According to the research, those who engaged in morning workouts, particularly between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., boasted an average BMI of 27.5. In contrast, participants who exercised from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. had an average BMI of 28.3. These findings held true regardless of factors such as gender, ethnicity, educational background, tobacco or alcohol use, and sedentary behavior.
The study was based on health and activity data collected from 5,285 individuals who participated in a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) between 2003 and 2006. This period was chosen as it marked the beginning of the use of accelerometers, or activity trackers, in such surveys.
After recording the participants' initial BMI and waist circumference, they were asked to wear these activity trackers for ten hours or more daily for four to seven days. Interestingly, those who exercised in the morning showed the smallest BMI and waist size despite all participants meeting the physical activity guidelines of at least 150 minutes per week.
Rebecca Krukowski, a clinical psychologist specializing in behavioral weight management, underscored the benefits of morning exercise routines. She pointed out that morning workouts can help avoid distractions such as emails, calls, or meetings. "Regular morning exercisers may have more stable schedules, being less likely to work shifts or have caregiving responsibilities that hinder morning exercise," said Krukowski, who was not involved in the study, in an interview with CNN. "Such predictable routines could have other beneficial effects on weight not measured in this study, such as sleep quality and stress levels."
However, the research team was unable to establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between morning exercise and the observed changes in BMI and waist size. This is because the participants' BMI and waist size were only measured before the activity tracking period, not afterward.
The lead author of the study, Tongyu Ma, a research assistant professor of rehabilitation sciences at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, stated that further research is needed to identify potential links between morning workouts and reduced BMI and waist size.
For those actively seeking to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle, this study provides an interesting perspective on the timing of workouts. It might be time to set that alarm a bit earlier and invest in some fitness health clothing or active wear for fat loss to make those morning workouts more comfortable and effective.
For those looking to buy workout clothes, T-shoppe online fitness store offers a variety of options. Remember, whether you're choosing girls clothing to lose weight or just looking for comfortable workout gear, consistency in your exercise routine is key. And as this study suggests, it might be worth considering making that routine a morning one.
