More Eating, Less Exercise This Season

Spring offers various advantages for people, such as longer days, warmer weather, and more opportunities to spend time outdoors with loved ones.

However, it appears that spring is also when people tend to consume more processed foods and reduce their visits to the gym.

"This impact is more pronounced among regular gym-goers," notes Rishika Rishika, a professor at North Carolina State University.

"Individuals who maintain a consistent exercise routine are influenced by the change in daylight. The longer days and pleasant weather provide an additional reason to forego the gym in favor of enjoying other activities."

This month, the Journal of Marketing published two studies, one focusing on eating behaviors and the other on exercise habits.

In the first study, researchers gathered consumer data from a US-based packaged food company from 2004 to 2010. Participants used cellphones to document their food intake over two weeks.

The second study involved a collaboration with a national gym chain, providing data on gym attendance during the spring season as temperatures rose and days lengthened.

Both studies confirmed the professors' hypotheses that daylight saving time and extended daylight significantly impact healthy habits.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, this isn't the first study to reveal the adverse effects of daylight saving time, which can influence conditions like depression, anxiety, and seasonal affective disorder, as Anabel mentions.

The delay in darkness has another consequence: it disrupts melatonin production, making it harder for the body to rest and maintain a regular sleep schedule.

Source: telegrafi

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.