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.
Laura A. 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.
Benefits Of Walking In The Morning
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.
And, you guessed it: Using fat as an energy source could be helpful for weight loss. “Working out in a fasted state when your glycogen stores are minimized may help you burn more fat,” says Michael Russo, MD, a bariatric surgeon at MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center. But, he says, it could also have the opposite effect because you feel fatigued or low-energy, making your workout less effective. “Also, if your protein intake is low, your body can burn muscle for energy in a fasted state,” he adds. So, fasted walking may not be for everyone—and it certainly won’t make or break your weight loss journey.
Pros Of Morning Walks
- Prioritizing your walk in the morning ensures you will have time to do it
- Sunlight early in the day can help regulate circadian rhythm
- Improved blood pressure and insulin resistance
- Fasted exercise can help burn more fat as fuel
Benefits Of Walking In The Afternoon
Maybe you’re not a morning person—or maybe you get a bigger burst of energy to get active in the afternoon. You wouldn’t be alone. Typically, by the afternoon, after you’ve had breakfast and lunch and hopefully some hydration, you might have more energy and better nutrition to really make the most of your exercise, says Richardson.
Plus, walking after a meal comes with some serious digestion benefits. Particularly if you’re pre-diabetic or have diabetes, walking after a meal can be a good choice. “Exercising after a meal really does help in aiding what we call digestion,” says Richardson. “Really what it’s doing is helping to stabilize our blood sugar. As you’re moving, you increase blood flow because your skeletal muscles are contracting and those muscles are starting to eat or take in all of that extra sugar, or glucose, from your meal.”
As for how quickly after a meal you should lace up your sneakers? Do it ASAP for the most benefit, according to a 2023 study in Sports Medicine.
Midday to afternoon workouts done at moderate to vigorous activity (which forms of walking, like power walking, incline walking, and rucking all reach) also were found to “substantially” decrease all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality risk compared to morning ones, according to a 2023 study in Nature Communications.
Pros Of Afternoon Walks
- More energy and better nutrition in the afternoon
- Aids digestion, leading to better blood sugar stabilization
- Potential to decrease all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality risk
Benefits Of Walking In The Evening
Just like walking post-lunch is good for digestion, so is walking after dinner in the evening. It also might make you less likely to consume additional food after dinner, says Richardson. By getting up and moving around after dinner, you won’t be headed to your couch or bed, which could help prevent snacking.
The only thing you need to consider with any kind of exercise later in the day is how it impacts your sleep, Richardson notes. It really comes down to the individual person, though. One study found that both morning and evening exercise advance the sleep-wake cycle and production of melatonin in night owls—meaning that walking at any time of day is beneficial to them—but evening exercise delays these things for early birds, according to a 2023 review in Frontiers in Pharmacology.
Basically, evening exercise doesn’t need to be a dealbreaker for everyone. “If you’re able to sleep, then don’t worry about it,” says Richardson. If you’re considering scheduling your walks for the evening, just check in on how it affects your slumber.
Pros Of Evening Walks
- Aids digestion, leading to better blood sugar regulation
- Might prevent further snacking
So…Which Walking Time Is *The Best*?
Overall, walking in general has tons of benefits for your health, so don’t let the time of day deter you from doing it. “Really, the fundamental thought should be to choose a time that you can be consistent with,” says Richardson. This will help you build a habit and a schedule around the exercise. And, sticking to the same time every day has its own benefits on regulating your circadian rhythm whether it’s morning, afternoon, or night, she says.
Plus, while we have some research, there’s still a lot more to learn, especially when it comes to women. “Most of our research is done on men,” says Richardson. “It’s important for us to realize that we really don’t understand the difference of timing on women because so many of our studies have primarily been examining men.” All the more reason to explore on your own: See how walking at different times a day makes you feel.
Olivia Luppino is an editorial assistant at Women’s Health where she covers health and fitness. She previously wrote for The Cut, POPSUGAR, and Salon and has written about everything from New York Fashion Week to dating app trends to the United States Women’s National Soccer team (a.k.a. her heroes). When she isn’t writing, Olivia is likely catching up on Bravo shows or running late to barre class.
Read the full article here
