STUDY: Morning Exercise Can Increase Weight Loss

Recently a new study revealed that people who exercise before noon will lose more weight than those who exercise in the afternoon.

This study had people go through the same workout routine, one group in the morning, and the other in the afternoon. Scientists measured their workouts and waistlines very carefully throughout the study. They wanted to know why some people could shed weight quickly with exercise, and others struggled.

They focused on the timing of exercise and how these activities affect our health and weight loss.

Studies in the past have shown that people who try a new exercise routine to lose weight typically drop fewer pounds than they expect. Some participants even gained weight. Researchers carefully measured how many calories participants were burning during the workout.

They did find certain participants that shed pounds consistently with the same exercise regimen. What made the difference? Dr. Erik Willis, a data analyst with the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been looking into this for over a decade.

He ran a study of about 100 overweight participants and inactive young men and women. He gave them a routine consisting of five workouts a week at the physiology lab, and reviewed meal and workout timing.

He concluded, “Based on this data, I would say that the timing of exercise might — just might — play a role.”