Workout Scheduling and Regularity Impact Heart and Lung Fitness Levels
In recent years, scientists have gained a deeper understanding of the impact of the body's circadian rhythm on overall health. Disruptions in the natural sleep-wake cycle have been linked to an increased risk of various health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, and certain cancers. This rhythm not only governs sleep patterns but also dictates when an individual carries out daily activities, such as exercising.
A study recently published in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise reveals that maintaining a consistent exercise routine can benefit cardiovascular and lung health as people age. Participants who consistently exercised at the same time every day were found to have better cardiorespiratory fitness and walking efficiency.
For the study, investigators recruited around 800 older adults with an average age of 76. Study participants wore wrist-worn accelerometers for seven days to measure their daily activity levels and underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing to assess their heart and lung health.
"Cardiorespiratory fitness is a measure of how effectively the heart, lungs, and muscles work together during exercise," explained Karyn Esser, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Physiology and Aging at the University of Florida. "Higher values are closely associated with longer lifespan and lower mortality risks."
The study also evaluated participants' walking efficiency, another indicator of healthy aging.
Researchers found that participants who were most active during active hours relative to daily resting time and had their maximum daily activity earlier in the day were correlated with better cardiorespiratory fitness and walking efficiency.
Esser noted that the consistency of daily activity patterns was also significant in determining health outcomes, with the highest activity time happening at the same time every day.
As people live longer but not necessarily healthier, Esser emphasized the importance of finding ways to help them maintain or improve their health as they age, suggesting that both the timing and consistency of activity may offer additional benefits beyond exercise alone.
Esser's lab will continue to research the impact of time-of-day activity patterns on other health outcomes, including sleep, pain, cognition, and mental health. In addition, she and her team will conduct preclinical studies to better understand the mechanisms behind the benefits of timing and consistency in physical activity.
Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist, commented that while this study found an association between the timing of physical activity and cardiopulmonary fitness, more research is needed to determine whether intentionally changing and optimizing the rhythm of daily physical activity will lead to better health outcomes.
"Regular exercise is an essential part of staying healthy as you age," Chen stated. "As our population ages, strategies to improve physical fitness may help us reduce the burden of disease in our society."
- The study in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise suggests that maintaining a consistent exercise routine can positively affect cardiovascular and lung health, particularly in seniors.
- The circadian rhythm, which governs sleep patterns and daily activities like exercising, has been linked to an increased risk of several health conditions.
- Cardiorespiratory fitness, a measure of how effectively the heart, lungs, and muscles work together during exercise, is closely associated with longevity and lower mortality risks.
- The timing and consistency of daily activity patterns were found to be significant in determining health outcomes, with the highest activity happening at the same time every day.
- As people live longer but not necessarily healthier, researchers stress the importance of finding ways to help them maintain or improve their health, suggesting that both the timing and consistency of activity may offer additional benefits beyond exercise alone.
- The impact of time-of-day activity patterns on other health outcomes, such as sleep, pain, cognition, and mental health, is currently being researched, and preclinical studies will be conducted to better understand the mechanisms behind the benefits of timing and consistency in physical activity.
