A recent study highlights the importance of aligning exercise routines with an individual’s chronotype—whether they are naturally a morning person (‘lark’) or an evening person (‘owl’)—to reduce the risk of heart disease. This personalized approach to workout timing could be especially beneficial for those with high blood pressure or other cardiovascular risk factors.
Published in the journal Open Heart, the research involved 150 participants aged 40 to 60, all with at least one heart risk factor such as hypertension, obesity, or physical inactivity. Their chronotypes were assessed using questionnaires and 48-hour core body temperature monitoring. Participants were then assigned to exercise either in the morning (8 am to 11 am) or evening (6 pm to 9 pm), matching or mismatching their natural preferences.
Over 60 exercise sessions spanning 12 weeks, 134 participants completed the program. The study found improvements in blood pressure, aerobic fitness, fasting glucose levels, and sleep quality in all groups. However, those who exercised in sync with their chronotype experienced significantly greater reductions in blood pressure and enhanced heart rate, aerobic capacity, and sleep quality compared to those with mismatched timing.
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Notably, morning types saw more pronounced benefits than evening types. Researchers suggest that integrating chronotype assessments into exercise prescriptions could become a practical strategy for cardiometabolic prevention, improving patient adherence and health outcomes.
Dr. Rajiv Sankaranarayanan from the British Cardiovascular Society commented that these findings may inform preventive cardiology within the NHS, emphasizing the need for cost-effective and scalable lifestyle interventions. He noted further studies are required to validate the approach across diverse populations, including shift workers and multi-ethnic groups. Overall, this research points towards a shift in cardiovascular care that embraces personalized, circadian rhythm-informed exercise guidance.