2026-04-16 12:04:26

Morning exercise may offer the biggest heart-health boost for early risers, while evening workouts could be better for night owls.

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh found that matching exercise times to a person’s natural “chronotype” – whether they are more alert in the morning or evening – may significantly improve blood pressure, fitness and sleep quality.

The study, published in Open Heart journal, followed 150 sedentary adults aged 40 to 60 who had at least one cardiovascular risk factor, such as obesity, high cholesterol or a family history of early heart disease.

Participants were classified as either “morning larks” or “night owls”.

They were then randomly assigned to complete five supervised 40-minute moderate aerobic sessions each week for 12 weeks, either at a time that matched their body clock or one that did not.

While all participants benefited from regular exercise, those whose workouts aligned with their chronotype saw greater gains in systolic blood pressure, heart rate variability, aerobic capacity, metabolic markers and sleep quality.

Those exercising in sync with their body clock recorded an average 10.8mmHg fall in systolic blood pressure, compared with 5.5mmHg in the mismatched group.

Among participants who already had high blood pressure, the drop rose to 13.6mmHg.

Researchers said better timing may help the body’s internal clocks in muscles, fat tissue and blood vessels work more efficiently, reducing inflammation.

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