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With Exercise, Timing is Everything

© Stephen Weistling

I know, with the challenge of working odd shifts, who has the time to exercise? There's no question that finding the right time to work out is extremely difficult, especially when you must also consider family and social obligations, chores, and sleep. However, it is extremely important to maintain your health and mental well-being. Studies have shown that shiftworkers who maintain a healthy lifestyle find shiftwork not only bearable, but in many cases preferred over the restrictions of a nine-to-five workday. Vigorous exercise not only makes you healthier physically, it helps you feel better about yourself. And while you are trying to balance work and personal life in a system out of step with the rest of the world, the feeling of having control over something (in this case your health regimen), goes a long way in living a happier life.

Exercising is a pathway towards various outcomes, depending on the individual's needs. Some people exercise solely as a way to reduce and/or maintain their weight. In others, it provides cardiovascular health, which promotes longevity and endurance. Some people work out to build muscle mass to improve their appearance and strength. And a few of us exercise to maintain overall physical, mental, and spiritual health.

It has recently been shown however, that the time of the day (in your case, the point on the circadian cycle) is important in determining the effect of exercise in relation to your personal fitness goals.

When you are sleeping, your metabolism and body temperature is at its lowest. Your muscles begin to use more fat cells in order to spare glucose for the brain. Insulin levels are low, and the hormone glycogen is very high. What all this means is that during the "night" more fat is stored in the muscles for use. If you exercise right after getting up, you take advantage of those fat cells in the muscles by burning them off right away. In addition, you can soak up more fat cells for the muscles along the way, and can burn them off throughout the day. So if your objective is to lose weight, vigorous exercise right after awakening is definitely the way to go, especially since your overall metabolism will be increased.

Be careful, though. If you find vigorous exercise wipes you out for the rest of the day, try having a light meal first, or find another time of the day that suits you. Not everyone is enough of a "morning" person to make this system work. But if you stick to a consistent routine, you actually can shift certain circadian rhythms in your body to accept the benefit of exercise upon rising.

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