Fitness

Is morning or evening exercise better for weight loss? Researchers find out

Published

3 weeks ago

November 28, 2025

Is morning or evening exercise better for weight loss? Researchers find out

Any exercise is better than no exercise when it comes to losing weight, and ultimately, you should go when you know you can stay consistent because it fits in your schedule. For some people, that’s first thing in the morning, and for others, that’s in the evening after work. Others like to mix it up depending on what’s on the agenda.

In a thought-provoking study, researchers found that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, such as running, cycling, sports, and brisk walking, is protective against obesity. However, what’s less clear is the optimal time to get those muscles moving and break a sweat. Does it really matter that much? Are we overthinking it? Researchers dived deeper to understand more.

The study

In a study published in the journal Obesity, researchers placed 5285 participants into three different groups based on when they did most of their exercise:

Morning workout group
Midday workout group
Evening workout group

The researchers tested the patterns and associations between the timing of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and obesity. They compared how exercising at different times related to both waist size and body weight.

The results

The results revealed the following:

Morning exercise seemed to be the most effective for weight control.
Those who were the most active in the morning had a lower body mass index and smaller waistlines overall, even when they did the same amount of exercise as those who mostly exercised midday or in the evening.
Exercising at any time of the day was beneficial for obesity, but morning exercisers had the strongest link to lower obesity.

Meeting the exercise guidelines

Among the individuals who met the weekly exercise guidelines of at least 150 minutes every week, their average body mass index was:

Morning — 25.9
Midday — 27.6
Evening — 27.2

For those who met the exercise guidelines, their waist size was:

Morning — 91.5 cm
Midday — 95.8 cm
Evening — 95.0 cm

Overall, morning exercisers were leaner.

The takeaway

Exercise helps prevent obesity and promotes weight loss, no matter what time you get your muscles moving. This study shows that morning exercise may be superior and offer an extra advantage for weight loss compared with midday or evening exercise. In this study, morning exercisers had lower BMIs and smaller waists. There’s more to the weight-loss picture than exercise alone; other factors like nutrition, hormones, toxicity, sleep, certain medications, and stress also play a role.

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Fitness

I’ve been doing this standing exercise for six months and it’s transformed my core strength

Published

12 hours ago

December 21, 2025

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I’ve been doing this standing exercise for six months and it’s transformed my core strength

I’ve been working out for years and I can do sit-ups in my sleep—but I still struggle to activate my core.

I’ve always found it difficult to build strength in this area, until a trainer recommended trying a standing exercise called the Pallof press.

The move primarily targets your core muscles, but trainer Monty Simmons says it’s a full-body exercise.

“You’re actually integrating your arms and shoulders—along with your hips and your legs, because you’re standing on them—so it becomes a full-body exercise,” Simmons explains.

“It’s training your body to resist something that’s trying to pull you off balance and make you unstable. The benefit is that it trains your core to be able to resist rotational force.”

Simmons explains that building this kind of rotational strength will translate to everyday movements, such as lifting things and turning to put them on a counter.

How to do a Pallof press

How To Do A Pallof Press – YouTube

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Sets: 2-4 Reps: 8-15 each side

Loop a resistance band around a fixed point and stand side on to it.
Hold the resistance band in both hands in front of your chest with your elbows bent and pressed into the sides of your ribs, then sidestep away from the anchor point until there’s tension in the band.
Press your hands forward until your arms are fully extended.
Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

My experience doing the Pallof press for six months

I added the Pallof press to my workouts in the summer and I’ve noticed huge improvements in my core strength and my ability to engage these muscles.

At first, I couldn’t feel my core switch on when doing the Pallof press, because I was allowing my upper body to move too much.

When I focused on keeping my torso strong and steady, I felt this move immediately in my abs and obliques.

I mainly do this movement at the gym using the cable machine, but I’ve found it can be done at home with a long resistance band looped around a fixed point, too.

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I perform it as slowly as possible to increase the time my core muscles are under tension.

It doesn’t feel as challenging as crunches, but it has helped me learn how to recruit my core muscles, which has helped me perform other moves like squats and deadlifts.

Having done the move for six months, I can confidently say my core strength has also improved. I can do more repetitions of the Pallof press now and I find other core moves like the plank easier.

I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to learn how to engage and strengthen their core.

Fitness

Body awareness is fundamental to longevity, according to an expert trainer—here’s how to improve yours

Published

24 hours ago

December 21, 2025

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Body awareness is fundamental to longevity, according to an expert trainer—here’s how to improve yours

For most of us, the way to increase your chances of living for longer in good health is pretty straightforward.

Strength training, cardio work and flexibility routines can all improve your longevity, but according to trainer Eloise Skinner, there’s something else that’s fundamental to aging well: body awareness.

“A big part of longevity—living well for a long time—is the ability to be connected to your body and to be present within your body, because that can help you spot when something is wrong,” says Skinner, who is also a Pilates and yoga instructor.

“If you’re getting sick or you’re getting an injury, it’s the people who can stay checked in with their body that can respond to that, adjust things and take care of themselves.”

That’s why she prioritizes doing exercises that encourage mind-muscle connection, like the three moves below.

According to Skinner, working through these moves with intention and aligning your breath to the movement is best for boosting mind-body awareness.

This might mean just being conscious of your breathing during the move, or connecting your exhale and inhale to specific parts of the exercise.

1. Roll-down

Pilates Spinal flexion Roll down – YouTube

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Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, knees slightly bent and arms relaxed by your sides.
Slowly nod your chin toward your chest, then roll your spine down one vertebra at a time.
Let your shoulders, arms and head hang down as you continue rolling toward the floor.
Stop when you’ve rolled down as far as you can, take a breath, then slowly roll back up.

2. Plank

Start on your hands and knees, with your hands directly under your shoulders and fingers spread apart.
Step your feet back so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels.
Engage your core by pulling your belly button gently toward your spine.
Hold for 20 seconds or longer if possible, while maintaining a steady breath.

3. Cat-cow

Cat Cow – Exercise Library – YouTube
Cat Cow - Exercise Library - YouTube

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Start on your hands and knees, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
Inhale as you drop your belly, and lift your tailbone, chest and head.
Exhale as you round your spine, tuck your tailbone and bring your chin toward your chest.

Fitness

Boost cardio fitness with this beginner-friendly alternative to the trending 4×4 Norwegian interval workout

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2025

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Boost cardio fitness with this beginner-friendly alternative to the trending 4×4 Norwegian interval workout

The Norwegian 4×4 workout has been touted as the ultimate longevity-boosting workout, credited for significantly improving aerobic fitness scores over just eight weeks.

Popular among runners and developed by researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), it involves performing four sets of four-minute cardio intervals at 85-95% of your maximum heart rate, followed by three minutes of light recovery.

Emmanuel Ovola, an expert running coach, physiotherapist and Technogym ambassador, is currently using it in his training.

“I’m trying to do that three times a week for 12 weeks, which the research shows is really effective for increasing VO2 max—the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise,” Ovola tells Fit&Well.

I’ve tried it—once—and I’m in no hurry to try it again. While the NTNU says the workout is suitable for any fitness level, Ovola agrees it’s far from beginner-friendly.

So, I asked how he’d adapt the protocol for a more entry-level audience—like me.

Beginner interval running workout

A better beginner-friendly option, he says, would be to perform 6-10 intervals of 400 meters, with 60-90 seconds of recovery between reps.

But, rather than running those intervals flat out (or at 85-95% of maximum heart rate), Ovola suggests a different approach.

“I think it’s important to pace yourself and work on controlled running,” he says.

He recommends warming up thoroughly (this five-minute running warm-up is a good place to start), then running the first 400m at around a six or seven out of 10 RPE (rate of perceived exertion).

Time how long this first 400m takes, then aim to match that pace for the remaining intervals, which will get harder as fatigue sets in.

Benefits of this interval workout

As with the Norwegian 4×4 method, this interval training approach should make your legs more resilient so you’re better able to, according to Ovola, “run hard on heavy legs” over longer distances.

“I coach people who have shaved 30 to 60 seconds off their 5K times in just 6-8 weeks by following the Norwegian method,” he adds.

If you’re a relative beginner, this kinder version should deliver similar improvements, but you should always listen to your body because running fast puts more stress on your muscles and joints.

If your body is able to cope with these sessions, Ovola suggests performing this routine 2-3 times per week, with ample rest between each session, and not neglecting slower, longer runs to build overall running efficiency and aerobic endurance.