Anyone who has gotten out of bed early to go for a walk as the sun rises knows that the energetic feeling you get from the stroll is hard to beat. By comparison, a walk in the evening as the sun sets may feel more calming, helping to calm your nerves after a long, stressful day.

But here's something you might not know: A morning walk is not just different from an evening stroll in terms of how it feels, but it also has a different effect on your body.

After studying how mice were affected by early or late bouts of exercise, Jonas Thue Treebak, associate professor at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center, said, "There appears to be rather significant differences between the effect of exercise performed in the morning and evening, and these differences are probably controlled by the body's circadian clock." “Morning exercise activates gene programs in muscle cells, improving their efficiency and ability to metabolize sugar and fat. Evening exercise, on the other hand, boosts total energy expenditure over a longer period of time.”


Here's how walking in the morning, midday, and evening can have various effects on your body.

THE CASE FOR A MORNING WALK

What Treekbak's team discovered isn't a novel concept: Morning exercise prepares your muscles to burn sugar and fat efficiently throughout the day. It's true for mice, and it's also true for humans, especially when they walk before breakfast. People can burn 20% more body fat by exercising first thing in the morning before eating, according to research published in 2013 - just make sure you eat breakfast afterwards. A morning stroll can also help lower blood pressure, which is beneficial for older or obese persons.

Morning walks are fantastic from a behavioral standpoint because you can cross exercise off your to-do list regardless of how the rest of your day goes. It's simpler to keep healthy behaviors going throughout the day if you start the day with a triumph.

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THE CASE FOR A MIDDAY WALK

Have you had a particularly trying morning at work? A walk before lunch can help you avoid overeating or selecting a less healthful meal. In 2016, a study discovered that exercising after “hard mental work,” such as writing a report or having a tense meeting with your boss, helped participants eat fewer calories at lunch than their office-bound counterparts. In a press statement announcing the findings, William Neumeier, PhD, noted, "The modern work environment is highly sedentary and intellectually demanding." He notes that the study discovered that lactate and glucose created during exercise delivered energy to the brain in a similar way to eating a snack.

It doesn't take much: a brief stroll or even briskly walking a few flights of stairs can assist your body transition from sedentary to active, reversing the damage caused by sitting for long periods of time. According to research, just two minutes of stair climbing on a regular basis enhances your overall fitness.

Your supervisor will like it if you workout for a few minutes during lunch: When opposed to eating lunch at your desk, research has demonstrated that exercising improves decision-making. It also helps to re-energize you in the afternoon for creative problem-solving and to relieve tension from a long morning at work. Consider it your workday's reset button.

THE CASE FOR AN EVENING WALK

A post-dinner walk is an excellent option, especially if you have stomach problems. A 2008 study indicated that just 15 minutes of walking after a meal is sufficient to assist digestion by speeding up the process. It may also aid in the relief of heartburn and acid reflux symptoms.

Walking after dinner may also give you enough time before dessert to recognize you're full, allowing you to avoid dessert or choose a smaller portion of something you've been desiring. Evening exercise, according to a 2019 study, can help your body prepare to slumber and recuperate overnight by reducing appetite.

While a morning stroll might help you feel energized for the day, an evening walk can assist your body naturally drop cortisol levels and feel less stressed. It's a terrific way to end the day on a healthy note by going for a walk with a partner, kids, or friends and catching up on the day's activities, talking about next plans, or simply spending time together away from devices.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Do you have time to do all three? The good news is that taking short walks in the morning, lunch, and evening can provide you with the benefits of all three options while avoiding the drawbacks.

Although there are advantages to walking at any time of day, the optimal time to walk is when you are most likely to do so (and stick with it). After researching the metabolic effects of working out at night or in the morning, Paolo Sassone-Corsi of the Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism at the University of California, Irvine, said, "You may be a morning person, or you may be a night person, and those things have to be taken into account."

Make a habit of choosing a time of day when you're most likely to stick to it. Science is not deceitful, but neither is your body.

Make daily progress toward your exercise and diet goals, such as increasing your step count. To stay motivated, go to “Plans” on the Healthyhabitt app for daily coaching and simple assignments.