One of the biggest challenges for firms with wellness programs is to encourage employees to exercise without interfering with their work responsibilities.

While there’s no perfect schedule for all employees,  researchers at the Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Living Center have looked at the pros and cons of different exercise routines.

Morning exercise
Morning  exercisers are the most likely to make daily workouts a regular habit. These employees are often more productive during two notorious low ebbs – the start of the workday and shortly before meal breaks.

However, these workers often have a drop-off later in the day. Typical causes: lack of a good night’s sleep and/or starting exercise too early in the morning.

Afternoon exercise
There are numerous medical benefits to afternoon exercise. The most important is regular afternoon exercise has been linked to better sleeping habits and less risk of
late-day loss of energy.

But it’s hard schedule-wise for most firms when workers exercise during the workday. Even if people can only manage a brisk 20-minute walk a few days a week, they get some of the benefits of more intensive workouts.

Evening exercise
While evening exercise is the most convenient for workers and employers schedule-wise, encouraging people to exercise after work has three significant drawbacks:

• Follow-up. People who exercise at night are the least likely to feel “up to it”on a regular basis.
• Sleep patterns. Later exercise can raise adrenaline levels at night, making it tough to sleep, and
• Productivity. There’s little evidence to show evening exercise boosts people’s energy during the workday.

But no matter what time people exercise, they get the same health advantages if they stick to the schedule.