Dragging yourself out of bed to go jogging or hit the gym before work may not be among your top ten favorite things. Even though you know you must stay active to stay healthy, squashing exercise time into your morning routine is as appealing as cold coffee. But here’s some good news for the reluctant morning warrior—a recent study may give you an excuse to stay in bed a little longer, especially if you are overweight. 

Researchers at the University of Sydney found that people with obesity gain the most health benefits when they do most of their daily physical activity in the evening.  

At the Charles Perkins Center, data from wearable devices were used to categorize participants’ physical activity into morning, afternoon, or evening. They found that people who did most of their moderate to vigorous aerobic activity—exercise that raises the heart rate and leaves you out of breath—between 6 p.m. and midnight had the lowest risk of early death and death from heart disease. 

They also discovered that how often people did short spurts of moderate to vigorous physical activity (lasting three minutes or more) in the evening mattered more than the total daily physical activity.  

Dr. Matthew Ahmadi, one of the lead authors, pointed out that the study didn’t only look at planned exercise. Researchers tracked continuous aerobic activity (moderate to vigorous and lasting three minutes or more) because past studies show this type of exercise is linked to better blood sugar control and a lowered risk of heart disease compared to shorter, non-aerobic activities. 

Ahmadi, a researcher at the University of Sydney, explained that the study tracked various activities, including organized exercises like running and physically demanding job duties. It also included everyday actions such as climbing stairs, power walking, and even intense house cleaning. 

The study’s findings suggest that people with diabetes or obesity, who often have trouble managing blood sugar levels later at night, might improve their blood sugar and reduce related health issues by being active in the evening. 

Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, Director of the Mackenzie Wearables Research Hub at the Charles Perkins Center and a senior author, noted that studies using wearable technology provide valuable insights into the most beneficial activity patterns for health. 

He mentioned that it’s an exciting time for researchers and health professionals because data from wearable devices lets them analyze physical activity patterns in great detail and turn those findings into helpful advice for health care. 

While more research is needed to establish clear connections, this study suggests that when people exercise could be an important factor in managing obesity and type 2 diabetes, as well as for overall preventive health care. 

Dr. Angelo Sabag, a Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at the University of Sydney, explained that about two out of three Australians have excess weight or obesity, which significantly increases their risk of heart issues, strokes, and early death. While exercise alone isn’t the only answer to the obesity crisis, his research indicates that people who can schedule physical activity for specific times of the day might reduce some of these health risks. 

The researchers used data from the UK Biobank and included 29,836 adults over 40 years old who had obesity, with 2,995 of those also diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.  

Participants were divided into groups based on when they did most of their aerobic moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), measured by a wrist accelerometer worn continuously for 24 hours daily. The team then connected health data from the National Health Services and National Records of Scotland to track participants’ health for about eight years. During this time, they recorded 1,425 deaths, 3,980 cardiovascular events, and 2,162 cases of microvascular dysfunction. 

The researchers considered age, gender, smoking, alcohol use, how many fruits and vegetables participants ate, time spent sitting, total MVPA, education, medication, and sleep duration. They also excluded people who already had heart disease or cancer. 

So go ahead and hit that snooze button. Enjoy those extra minutes of guilt-free sleep but remember to plan some exercise for later in the day to maximize your health benefits.