Early Bird Exercisers Reap More Health Benefits

Study finds morning workouts linked to lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity

Mar. 20, 2026 at 7:00pm

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A new study presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting found that people who exercise regularly in the early morning, between 7-8 AM, have significantly lower odds of developing clogged arteries, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity compared to those who exercise later in the day. The study analyzed data from nearly 14,500 participants tracked with Fitbit devices for a full year.

Why it matters

This is the first large-scale study to examine the timing of exercise in addition to the overall amount, providing new insights into how the body may respond differently to morning workouts versus later in the day. The findings suggest there could be biological, behavioral, or psychological factors that make early exercise particularly beneficial for cardiometabolic health.

The details

Researchers found that exercising between 7-8 AM was associated with the lowest odds of heart disease from clogged arteries. The study participants were categorized based on when they tended to exercise, and those who frequently worked out in the morning were 40% less likely to develop clogged arteries, 35% less likely to have high blood pressure, 25% less likely to get type 2 diabetes, and 20% less likely to be obese compared to those who exercised later.

  • The study analyzed data collected over a full year.
  • The findings will be presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting on March 29, 2026.

The players

Prem Patel

A medical student at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and the lead researcher on the study.

American College of Cardiology (ACC)

The medical association hosting the conference where the study findings will be presented.

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What they’re saying

“Any exercise is going to be better than no exercise, but we tried to identify an additional dimension relating to the timing of exercise. If you can exercise in the morning, it seems to be linked with better rates of cardiometabolic disease.”

— Prem Patel, Lead Researcher

“In the past, researchers have mainly looked at how much physical activity to do, the number of minutes or the intensity of physical activity. Now with 1 in 3 Americans having a wearable device, we're gaining the ability to look at exercise at the minute-by-minute level, and that opens a lot of doors in terms of new analyses.”

— Prem Patel, Lead Researcher

What’s next

The study findings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. Researchers plan to further investigate the potential biological, behavioral, and psychological factors that may explain why morning exercise provides greater health benefits.

The takeaway

This study highlights the importance of considering not just the overall amount of exercise, but also the timing of physical activity. For those looking to maximize the cardiometabolic health benefits of exercise, an early morning workout routine may be particularly advantageous.