Exercising Time and Consistency Impact Heart and Lung Fitness: Aging Perspective
In a significant revelation, recent research indicates that maintaining a consistent exercise routine could bolster cardiovascular and lung health as individuals age. The study, published in the esteemed journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, points towards the impact of exercising at the same time daily on long-term health benefits.
Previous studies have shown that an irregular sleep-wake cycle can boost the risk of numerous health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, and certain cancers. Besides regulating the sleep-wake cycle, the circadian rhythm also dictates when an individual carries out daily activities, such as exercising.
The research further emphasizes the significance of the circadian rhythm on physical performance and recovery time. A disrupted sleep-wake cycle might affect the body's ability to regulate temperature and cause hormonal fluctuations, which, in turn, can impact physical activity.
For this particular study, approximately 800 older adults with an average age of 76 years were recruited. They wore wrist-worn accelerometers for seven days to measure their daily activity and underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing to assess their heart and lung health.
According to Karyn Esser, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Physiology and Aging in the College of Medicine at the University of Florida, who led the study, "cardiorespiratory fitness is a measure of how well your heart, lungs, and muscles work together in response to exercise. Higher values are strongly associated with longer lifespan and lower mortality risks."
The study evaluated both cardiorespiratory fitness and walking efficiency, another indicator of healthy aging. Esser explained that walking efficiency provides an assessment of how efficiently the body uses energy to walk forward, with improved efficiency equating to greater walking distance.
Esser's team observed that participants who had the most activity during their active period relative to their daily resting time, and whose maximum daily activity occurred earlier in the day, exhibited better cardiorespiratory fitness and walking efficiency. Furthermore, they found that having a consistent daily activity pattern, with the highest activity time remaining consistent each day, correlated with better health outcomes.
In summary, Esser concluded that maintaining a routine of daily exercise with attention to the timing and consistency of activity is crucial for preserving health as we age. According to her, "While we are living longer, in general, we are not living healthier. So it is important to find ways to help people maintain or improve their health while aging, [to] improve quality of life and diminish the impact of age-related chronic diseases."
The researchers are currently expanding their clinical study of circadian, or time-of-day, activity behavior to include other outcomes such as sleep, pain, cognition, and mental health. Preclinical studies in their lab aim to determine the underlying mechanisms through which the timing of activity impacts health with aging.
In addition, board-certified interventional cardiologist Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center, spoke about the implications of this study. Chen stated, "This study found an association between the timing of daily physical activity and measures of cardiopulmonary fitness. This suggests that we may eventually be able to better tailor our exercise recommendations in order to optimize the physiological benefits." He further noted that regular, consistent exercise (preferably at the same time each day) could help lower blood pressure and improve overall cardiovascular outcomes, potentially reducing the risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions as people age.
- The study, published in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, highlights the importance of maintaining a consistent exercise routine for aging and longevity, suggesting it could bolster cardiovascular and lung health.
- Researchers found that the timing and consistency of daily activity play significant roles in physical performance, recovery time, and overall health-and-wellness in seniors.
- The study led by Karyn Esser, PhD, evaluated cardiorespiratory fitness and walking efficiency in 800 older adults, discovering that participants with more activity during their active period, and whose maximum daily activity occurred earlier in the day, exhibited better health outcomes.
- According to Esser, higher cardiorespiratory fitness, improved walking efficiency, and regular fitness-and-exercise can help diminish the impact of age-related chronic diseases, improving quality of life.
- The researchers are currently investigating the underlying mechanisms through which the timing of activity impacts health with aging, and are considering other factors like sleep, pain, cognition, and mental health in their clinical study.
- Board-certified interventional cardiologist Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, stresses the potential for tailoring exercise recommendations based on this research, which could help lower blood pressure and improve overall cardiovascular outcomes, potentially reducing the risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions as people age.
