第1682期:Is there a best time to exercise?

With our already busy lives, finding time to exercise can feel like one more thing on our ‘to do’ list. So maybe it would help if there was ‘a best time’ to exercise? Could exercising at certain times help maximise our fitness goals? The answer is ‘yes’, but it’s easier than you think – no matter who you are, or when you like to work out.

在我们本已忙碌的生活中，抽出时间锻炼身体感觉就像是我们“待办事项”清单上的另一件事。那么，如果有“最佳时间”锻炼，也许会有帮助？在特定时间锻炼可以帮助我们最大限度地实现健身目标吗？答案是肯定的，但它比您想象的要容易——无论您是谁，也无论您何时喜欢锻炼。

There are clear benefits to exercising in the morning. Many of us have more free time compared to later in the day, and it may therefore be easier for us to stick to a morning workout routine. A study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that participants who exercised in the morning, increased their physical activity throughout the day, were less distracted by food, and slept better. Exercising on an empty stomach before breakfast could also burn more fat and increase metabolism, which means you’ll continue to burn calories throughout the day.

早上锻炼有明显的好处。与当天晚些时候相比，我们中的许多人有更多的空闲时间，因此我们可能更容易坚持早上锻炼。发表在运动与运动医学与科学杂志上的一项研究发现，早上锻炼的参与者全天增加了身体活动，较少因食物而分心，并且睡得更好。早餐前空腹锻炼还可以燃烧更多脂肪并增加新陈代谢，这意味着您将在一整天内继续燃烧卡路里。

So, good news for early birds, but what if you’re not a morning person? Working out in the afternoon or evening also has benefits, just different ones. For example, your body’s ability to perform peaks in the afternoon, according to a 2010 study by the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. Also, in the afternoon and evening, your reaction time is quickest, and your heart rate and blood pressure are lowest, which reduce your chance of injury while improving performance.

所以，这对早起的鸟儿来说是个好消息，但如果你不是早起的人怎么办？在下午或晚上锻炼也有好处，只是好处不同。例如，根据斯堪的纳维亚医学与科学杂志 2010 年的一项研究，您的身体在下午达到高峰的能力。另外，下午和晚上反应最快，心率和血压最低，在提高运动表现的同时减少受伤几率。

But does any of this change depending on whether you’re a man or a woman? Our bodies are different, after all, so the best time to exercise may be different too. A 2022 study from Skidmore College, New York, looked at exactly this question and the results showed that there are some differences. Want to reduce your blood pressure and you’re a woman? Exercise in the morning. Want to improve your heart health and you’re a man? Evening is better for you. But, ultimately, the study found that there are clear benefits for both sexes to exercising at either time of day.

但是，这是否会根据您是男人还是女人而改变？毕竟我们的身体不同，所以锻炼的最佳时间也可能不同。纽约斯基德莫尔学院 2022 年的一项研究正是研究了这个问题，结果表明存在一些差异。想要降低血压，而您是女性？早上锻炼。想要改善您的心脏健康并且您是男人？晚上更适合你。但是，最终，该研究发现，在一天中的任何时间锻炼对男女都有明显的好处。

So what time is best? It seems the answer is: whatever time is best for you!

那么什么时间最好呢？答案似乎是：什么时间最适合你！

词汇表

fitness goal 健身目标
work out 锻炼身体
benefit (n) 优势，好处
stick to 坚持
workout 锻炼
participant 参与者
increase 提高
physical activity 体育活动
throughout the day 一整天
distracted (adj) 注意力分散的
burn 燃烧
fat 脂肪
metabolism 新陈代谢
peak (v) 达到顶峰
reaction time 反应时间
heart rate 心率
blood pressure 血压
reduce 降低
injury 伤，损伤
performance 表现，技能