锻炼的最佳时间真的存在吗？

Is there a best time to exercise?

词汇：四级 | 句法：四级 | 文本：四级

刘立军供稿

With our already busy lives, finding time to exercise can feel like one more thing on our ‘to do’ list. So maybe it would help if there was ‘a best time’ to exercise? Could exercising at certain times help maximize our fitness goals? The answer is ‘yes’, but it’s easier than you think — no matter who you are, or when you like to work out.

在我们已经忙碌不堪的生活中，抽时间锻炼可能感觉像是又给我们的“待办清单”新增了一项任务。那么，是否存在一个“最佳锻炼时间”呢？在特定时间锻炼，是否能帮助我们最大化达成健身目标呢？答案是肯定的，而且比你想象的要简单——无论你是谁，或者你喜欢什么时候锻炼，都可以找到适合自己的方式。

There are clear benefits to exercising in the morning. Many of us have more free time compared to later in the day, and it may therefore be easier for us to stick to a morning workout routine.

晨练有着明显的好处。与一天中的其他时段相比，许多人早晨的时间更充裕，因此更容易坚持晨练的习惯。

A study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that participants who exercised in the morning increased their physical activity throughout the day, were less distracted by food, and slept better. Exercising on an empty stomach before breakfast could also burn more fat and increase metabolism, which means you’ll continue to burn calories throughout the day.

发表在《运动医学与科学》上的一项研究发现，参与早晨锻炼的人在一整天中身体活动量增加，受到食物的干扰减少，并且睡眠质量更好。空腹晨练还能燃烧更多脂肪并提高新陈代谢，这意味着在一整天里都能持续消耗热量。

So, good news for early birds, but what if you’re not a morning person?

所以，早起确实有早起的好处，但如果你不是喜欢早起的人呢？

Working out in the afternoon or evening also has benefits, just different ones. For example, your body’s ability to perform peaks in the afternoon, according to a 2010 study by the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports.

下午或晚上锻炼也有好处，只是优势有所不同。例如，根据《斯堪的纳维亚运动医学与科学杂志》2010年的一项研究，人体在下午时段的运动表现达到最佳状态。

Also, in the afternoon and evening, your reaction time is quickest, and your heart rate and blood pressure are lowest, which reduce your chance of injury while improving performance.

此外，在下午和晚上，你的反应速度最快，心率和血压最低，这不仅降低了受伤风险，还能提升运动表现。

But does any of this change depending on whether you’re a man or a woman? Our bodies are different, after all, so the best time to exercise may be different too. A 2022 study from Skidmore College, New York, looked at exactly this question and the results showed that there are some differences.

但这些结论是否会因性别不同而有所变化呢？毕竟，男性和女性的身体存在差异，因此锻炼的最佳时间也可能不同。纽约斯基德莫尔学院2022年的一项研究正好探讨了这个问题，结果显示确实存在一些差异。

Want to reduce your blood pressure and you’re a woman? Exercise in the morning. Want to improve your heart health and you’re a man? Evening is better for you. But, ultimately, the study found that there are clear benefits for both sexes to exercising at either time of day.

例如，如果你想降低血压，对于女性来说，早晨锻炼效果更佳；而如果你是男性，想改善心脏健康，晚上锻炼对你更有益。但最终，该研究发现，无论男女，在一天中的这两个时段锻炼都有明确的益处。

So what time is best? It seems the answer is: whatever time is best for you!

那么，什么时间锻炼最好呢？看来答案是：最适合你的时间，就是最佳时间！

【词汇】

1. maximize v. 最大化，使达到最大值

2. workout n. 锻炼，健身活动

3. metabolism n. 新陈代谢

4. peak v. 达到高峰，达到最佳状态

5. ultimately adv. 最终，从根本上来说

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