Going on a walk comes with a lot of benefits, both mental and physical. If done at the right pace and intensity, walking can be a good way to get in some zone 2 cardio, giving your heart some love. But, it can also elevate your mood, help you sleep, and even boost your immunity.
But get this: When you decide to take your daily stroll might impact exactly what the benefits are, say experts. Here’s how to decide when to lace up your sneakers to get in your daily steps. Richardson, PhD, a professor of applied exercise science and movement science at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology.
Michael Russo, MD, is a board-certified bariatric surgeon at MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center. Morning walkers, rejoice! There is a lot of benefit to walking in the A.M.
The first is simply that getting your steps in early in your day means that it’s a lot less likely something will keep you from getting it done. Beyond that, getting out of bed and into the sunlight first thing can have positive impacts on your rest later. Morning exposure to the sun’s rays can help promote better quality sleep that night, regardless of how much total sunlight you get throughout the day, according to a 2024 study in Journal of Health Psychology.
This is because it potentially helps regulate your circadian rhythm. Plus, walking in the morning was found to improve blood pressure, insulin concentration, and insulin resistance compared to walking in the afternoon in patients with metabolic syndrome, per a 2023 study in the Journal of Physiology. One thing that morning exercise doesn’t seem to have an edge on?
Body composition, according to the aforementioned 2023 study, as well as a separate study in Obesity. One reason you *might* hear that morning walking could have a weight loss benefit is because many people walk in the morning in a fasted state, which means that your body is using fat stores for energy instead of carbohydrates, says Laura A. Richardson, a professor of applied exercise science and movement science at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology.
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