Why it is useful to always do your sports session at the same time

in collaboration with

Vincent Roche (physiotherapist)

Sport at the same time to preserve your joints

In other words, the 24-hour daily cycle that our body follows, such as the drop in our internal temperature when we sleep and the increase in our blood pressure at certain times of the day, is known as the circadian cycle . There are processes inside our bodies that maintain this rhythm, known as “clocks” all linked to our central biological clock in the brain.

According to a new study published in Nature Communications, doing sports at any time could promote a desynchronization between the clocks of the articular cartilage – which however has no nerve or blood supply – and the brain. What might be contributing to musculoskeletal decline: how quickly our bones and cartilage deteriorate over time.

Conversely, practicing physical activity always at the same time would resynchronize our clocks and thus slow down the deterioration process, whatever the age.

Extrapolating these results observed in mice, the researchers believe that this discovery could help us develop more targeted treatments against musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis using exercise and physical activity.

For Vincent Roche, physiotherapist, “Firstly, one should be cautious about extrapolations from studies carried out in mice. And let’s keep in mind that there is 1000 times more risk of being sedentary and inactive than of practicing physical activity at a random time“.

Developing a habit contributes to motivation

According to Vincent Roche, physiotherapist, “lThe real advantage of doing your sports session at the same time every day is to create a ritual. Indeed, developing a habit such as this brings you discipline and sets a framework in your life. This will make it much easier to motivate yourself to complete your workout because this step will be naturally integrated into your daily life.“.

Motivation being a key factor in a good sports routine, doing sports at the same time every day could therefore help you achieve your goals more easily!

Little impact on performance

To increase your sporting performance, it is essential to be regular in practice. However, regarding the punctuality of the sessions, Vincent Roche confides: “When you do your sports session every day at the same time, there is no real impact on performance, nor on the potential risk of injury.. So, doing sports remains beneficial whatever time you practice and even if it’s not at the same time every day.

The important thing is to find the time to do it, to stick to your goals and above all to rest between each session. Indeed, the sports doctor adds: “If punctuality has no impact on performance, fatigue could limit you and increase the risk of injury“. To avoid this, make sure you rest well and recover after sport!