150 sedentary adults in Pakistan, ages 40 to 60, saw the biggest drop in systolic blood pressure when aerobic workouts matched their natural circadian rhythm, according to a new BMJ Open Heart study.
The study suggests exercise still helps when done at any time, but benefits were stronger when morning types trained earlier and night-oriented participants exercised later, aligning activity with peak alertness.
Researchers used a 40-minute aerobic routine—five-minute warmup, 30-minute workout and five-minute cool down—to test the effect of workout timing.
LDL cholesterol also fell more in the circadian-aligned group, adding to evidence that timing exercise may improve modifiable cardiovascular risk factors beyond blood pressure alone.
Doctors said the findings could support more personalized exercise advice, while standard guidance remains 150 minutes a week of physical activity.
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