The 'best time' of day to exercise to lose weight and 'tap fat stores faster'

The 'best time' of day to exercise to lose weight and 'tap fat stores faster'

An expert discusses exercises for weight loss

GB NEWS
Sarra Gray

By Sarra Gray


Published: 13/05/2024

- 10:08

Exercise is an important part of any weight loss regime and an expert has revealed the best time to do a workout if trying to burn fat

Everyone has different exercise regimes and preferences of when they like to workout.

However, an expert exclusively shared why working out at certain times could help with fat-burning.


Balanced Body education director at Balanced Body Joy Puleo suggested there are benefits to exercising in the morning.

She told GB News: "Let’s face it, the best time of day to workout is the time of day you can commit to working out.

Woman with yoga mat /woman doing sit ups

Exercising in the morning could help target fat

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"That being said, there are benefits to working out in the morning that make it a particularly good time for the body to experience exercise, and specifically for mind-body focused exercise, such as Pilates."

Getting a workout in early doors can help the body use fat as its energy source rather than relying on the food you have eaten that day.

A study published in the National Library of Medicine suggested exercising in the morning increases fat burn and reduces energy intake.

It said: "Fasting before morning exercise decreased 24-hour energy intake and increased fat oxidation during exercise. Completing exercise in the morning in the fasted state may have implications for weight management."

Joy spoke more about why this is one of the reasons to choose a morning workout.

She said: "When you wake up your body is in a state of fasting. Without getting overly 'sciency' about this, the body’s glucose stores are depleted, as a result, early morning workouts tend to tap fat stores faster.

"If you choose to eat first, choose something light before your workout, and certainly, always hydrate as needed." This can also improve wellness and even give dieters a stronger start to their day.

The expert continued: "After a good night's rest, your mind has had time to think, organise and prioritise.

"This is why we often wake up clear-eyed and fresh for the new day. This is a great time to introduce exercise which taps this sense of well-being, such as Pilates. What you are doing is starting with your nervous system and mind grounded. As you move, you are reinforcing this sense of well-being and groundedness.

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Exercise is an important part of a weight loss journey

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"Now, getting a bit 'sciency' about it, you are training your parasympathetic nervous system, the part of your nervous system that controls breathing rate and heart rate variability and returns the body to resting state.

"The reason you want to train this is that strength, power and overall health has as much to do with how we recover then it does with how we push ourselves.

"The more we can calm the nervous system, the less reactive it is to stressors, such as spin class, then the better we can handle intensity."

This comes as an expert told GB News the "most important" tip to follow to achieve effective fat loss.

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