Published on 4/19/2026
The difference between people is not limited to daily sleeping and waking habits, but rather extends to a deeper internal system known as the “chronotype” or chronotype, which is the biological rhythm that determines the timing of wakefulness, sleep, and peak activity during the day, making each individual his own “biological clock.”
This concept indicates that the body does not operate at the same rhythm for everyone, as it determines levels of energy, concentration, and performance over a 24-hour period, which makes some people more active in the morning hours, and others reach their peak activity in the evening, along with intermediate patterns that combine the two.
Different chronotypes…genes that control the body clock
According to this classification, individuals are often divided into the “morning type,” which tends to wake up early and have high energy in the early hours of the day, and the “evening type,” in which activity reaches its peak during the night hours. This difference is affected by genetic factors that make its change limited.
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In this context, recent research suggests that harmonizing lifestyle with the “biological clock” may reflect on the physical response to daily activities, including exercise, and enhance the ability to continue and achieve better health outcomes.
Does the timing of exercise change heart health?
In a study published in the journal Open Heart, researchers from Britain and Pakistan concluded that the timing of exercise may be a factor influencing heart health, especially when it matches each individual’s “chrono type.”
The study included 150 people between the ages of 40 and 60, all of whom had at least one risk factor for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, obesity, or lack of physical activity.
The chronological pattern of the participants was determined through questionnaires and 48-hour measurements of basal body temperature, before they were randomly divided into two groups: the first exercised at a time compatible with their natural pattern, and the second at an incompatible time, within two periods, morning (8-11 am) and evening (6-9 pm).
What happened after 12 weeks of exercise?
After 12 weeks of regular training, the results showed an improvement in the two groups in terms of aerobic fitness, heart health, and sleep quality. However, the improvement was clearer in the group that exercised in harmony with its biological rhythm, as it recorded a greater decrease in blood pressure and a better improvement in heart rate and respiratory capacity.
The results indicate that “exercise timing” may not be a secondary detail, but rather an influential element in the effectiveness of exercise, especially for people exposed to heart risks, which opens the door to reconsidering methods for organizing physical activity.
How do you discover your optimal timing for exercise?
Fitness specialists believe that understanding chronotype may help improve exercise adherence, as people tend to remain active when it matches their peak energy, which is reflected in long-term health outcomes.
They also confirm that other factors such as sleep, nutrition, and stress level interfere with this vital rhythm, and directly affect the body’s performance during exercise and its response to it.
The study concludes that experimenting with different times for exercising may help individuals discover their optimal timing, which enhances the health benefits and makes exercise more effective and sustainable, given the clear difference between bodies in their response to the rhythm of the day.
