How to change your evening routine to increase exercise time?

A study analyzed the relationship between bedtime and next-day physical activity levels, pointing out changes you can make to exercise more.

If you're determined to increase your exercise routine tomorrow, going to bed earlier tonight might help - Photo: FREEPIK

Research conducted by scientists from Monash University (Australia) shows that if you are determined to increase the amount of exercise tomorrow, going to bed earlier tonight can help, according to Science Alert .

While it's not conclusively proven that going to bed earlier means you'll exercise more the next day, research shows a significant link between the two.

The massive amount of data collected for the study further strengthens that link — from wearable devices on 19,963 people recorded over the course of a year.

“These insights have public health implications,” says psychologist Josh Leota from Monash University. “It may be possible to encourage earlier bedtimes to naturally promote more active lifestyles.”

Overall, the data showed that earlier bedtimes were associated with more moderate to vigorous exercise the next day. For example, people who went to bed at 9 p.m. exercised an average of 30 minutes more than those who went to bed at 1 a.m., and 15 minutes more than those who went to bed at 11 p.m.

Sleep duration also played a role. People who slept an average of five hours spent 41.5 minutes more exercising than those who slept an average of nine hours.

Another important finding was that when a person went to bed earlier than usual but kept the same amount of sleep as usual, they often achieved the highest level of physical activity the next day.

Factors controlled for in the study included age, body mass index (BMI), and whether the day was a weekday or a weekend. It's still possible that other factors — like being a night owl — contributed to both late bedtimes and less exercise.

Research points to a simple intervention that many of us could consider to improve our health: adjusting our bedtimes a little earlier.

The study was published in the journal PNAS .

DAWN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thay-doi-thoi-quen-buoi-toi-the-nao-de-tang-thoi-gian-tap-the-duc-20250701182322855.htm