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SALT LAKE CITY — When your alarm goes off in the morning, are you ready to exercise? A new study suggests that morning exercise may help you lose weight.
“Exercising early in the morning may improve weight loss compared to other times of the day,” says Dr. Jake Beigel. “They say it has the word might in it. So they’re not lying, because it might.”
A study published in the research journal Obesity has received considerable attention recently. Because virtually everyone wants to know how to get the most out of exercise.
But is there really a best time to exercise?
Beigel is the medical director of Intermountain Health’s Live Well Center at Salt Lake Clinic. He noted that the study focused on BMI. BMI is a measurement that uses your weight and height to suggest whether you are at a healthy weight.
“People who exercised in the morning tended to have a lower BMI,” says Weigel.
“The theory is that if you exercise in the morning, you burn calories faster,” he says.
However, he went on to explain, “If you exercise after fasting and before eating anything, your body may be activating to burn fat.”
And there may be other factors at play, he added. “Another theory behind it is that it helps your circadian rhythm. As soon as you wake up, you start moving, and that helps your sleep cycle.”
However, if morning exercise doesn’t fit into your schedule, that’s okay, Veigel says.
“I used to train in the morning, but I can’t get up as early as I used to,” he says. “My schedule lends itself to working out in the evening.”
Researchers involved in this study say the same thing. The best time for people to train is when they can.
“Consistent exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. The guidelines are to do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, which is the minimum.”
Veigel has another suggestion that has been shown to be helpful. Increases heart rate intermittently during the day. Climbing just a few flights of stairs or doing some jumping jacks during the day can make a difference.