Afternoon might be the best time for exercise. Image: Shutterstock |
The preliminary results, based on results on mice, suggest
that midday is the time when exercise most affects our circadian rhythm in a
positive way. We have cells within our brains that help us tell what time of
day it is, which influences when we naturally sleep and wake, among other
things.
Signals from light and darkness cause genes within these
cells to produce proteins and release them into the body. From there, they move
to all our vital organs and keep them synchronized.
The problem is, sometimes our internal clocks don’t function
like they ought to. They get confused and off because of things like artificial
light in the evening; even aging makes the internal clock less functional. When
this happens, we have a harder time falling asleep, sleeping through the night,
and staying awake during the day. More severe consequences are a higher risk
for diabetes, obesity, some types of cancer, memory loss, and mood disorders.
Exercising can help get our circadian rhythms back to normal. Image: Shutterstock |
Excercise, whenever it happens, is good for us (duh)! Image: Shutterstock |
What this study tells us is that exercising in the morning
and afternoon does help our internal clocks regulate. Colwell says that some
evidence he’s gathered suggests that late-night exercise might actually be
harmful to our sleep rhythms, though. More research will need to be done before
the specifics can be nailed down. But one thing’s (still) for certain: exercise
is good for us!
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