Timing <I>Is</I> Everything
By understanding and adapting to your body's daily rhythms, you can do everything more effectively, from exercise to intercourse, researchers say.
"Organic Style" magazine editor Janie Pyun gave The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith an ides of when your internal clock dictates is the best time to take on activities ranging from exercising to eating sweets to – having sex.
The subject is known as chronobiology and, Pyun says, is hardly new. "Researchers have been studying the body's daily rhythms for about 50 years," Pyun explains. "In the mid-'80s, they found out that heart attacks are much more likely to happen in the morning, and so chronobiology really took off. And since then, there have been all sorts of intriguing findings."
For instance: the best time to prepare for a good night's sleep is -- in the morning: "If you want a better night's sleep, spend a few minutes outdoors under a very bright light. That cues the cells that regulate the production of melatonin, which is a sleep hormone, to reach peak productivity levels at night, by the time you go to bed, and then you'll sleep easy."
The best time to eat sweets? Eleven o'clock in the morning: "Researchers don't know exactly why," Pyun says, "but it's less likely to put on pounds. And the most likely time (to put on weight) is to have a high-calorie snack later in the day, so you might want to eat it before lunch."
The best time to exercise? Late afternoon and early evening: "Later in the day, the heart feels less strain, breathing is easier, your muscle strength and joint flexibility are at their peaks. You'll enjoy the workout more, so you'll get more out of it."
How about weighing yourself? "The best time is at 9:00 in the morning. That's when your body weight it at its lowest. Your system is empty. The worst time? Avoid the scale at 7:00 p.m. You won't be happy with the numbers you see.
There's even an ideal time for asking for a raise: "The best time…is at 11 a.m. because that's when energy levels are at their highest. You're the most alert and most focused. You want to avoid asking for more money later in the day, around 4:00 or 5:00, because that's when energy drops and you are more likely to feel anxious and nervous."
Researchers have even pinned down the best time to have root canals: "If you can, try to schedule a root canal at 3 p.m. That's when the pain medications in dentistry last almost twice as long as they do in the morning. So you'll have enough time to get through the procedure and, on the way home, pick up your prescription for pain medication, and then you'll feel better."
Finally: sex: "For women, the best time for sex is 14 days after the first day of their period because that's when estrogen levels are at their highest."
As for men: "We're still looking into it," Pyun says with a chuckle.