A recent study reveals that exercising at times aligned with your natural sleep-wake preferences—whether you’re an early riser (lark) or a night owl—can substantially reduce the risk of heart disease. Experts suggest assessing individual chronotypes to personalize exercise schedules, particularly for people with hypertension or other cardiovascular risk factors.
Published in the journal Open Heart, the research focused on chronotypes, which are innate, genetically influenced patterns determining when a person feels most alert and inclined to sleep or wake. Understanding whether someone is a morning or evening type can guide the timing of workouts for maximum health benefits.
The study, conducted collaboratively by researchers in the UK and Pakistan, involved 150 participants aged 40 to 60, all with at least one heart risk factor such as high blood pressure, obesity, or physical inactivity. Chronotypes were identified via questionnaires and by monitoring core body temperatures over 48 hours.
Participants were divided into groups exercising either in the morning (8am–11am) or evening (6pm–9pm), with timings either matched or mismatched to their chronotypes. Out of 150, 134 completed all 60 exercise sessions over 12 weeks.
Results showed improvements across both groups in heart risk factors, aerobic fitness, and sleep quality. However, those who exercised in line with their chronotype experienced significantly greater reductions in blood pressure, better heart rate regulation, enhanced aerobic capacity, and superior sleep quality compared to those exercising at non-preferred times. The benefits were more marked among morning larks than night owls.
Researchers emphasize that while further studies are necessary, these findings support integrating chronotype assessments into exercise prescriptions aimed at preventing cardiometabolic diseases. Personalizing workout timing could improve patient adherence and clinical outcomes, making it a practical approach for healthcare providers and public health initiatives.
Dr. Rajiv Sankaranarayanan of the British Cardiovascular Society commented on the study’s implications for the NHS, highlighting the potential for simple, cost-effective interventions to enhance lifestyle recommendations for patients with high cardiovascular risk. He noted that validating these results across diverse populations, including shift workers and ethnically varied groups, is important before broad implementation. Overall, these insights point toward a future where circadian-informed exercise prescriptions become a standard part of cardiovascular care.