Best time to wake-up – 6:45 am

“Ideally after between seven and nine hours of sleep. You need more sleep up to the age of 18 (typically up to 10 hours for a young teen) but it is myth that we need less sleep as we get older.”

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Best time to go for a run – 7:00 am

“Research shows that doing cardio-exercise in a fasted state (ie before breakfast) leads to a small increase in the amount of fat being burned. That is because blood sugar, insulin, and glycogen levels are all lower than normal after an overnight fast.”

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Best time for breakfast – 7:15 am

“This should be around 30 minutes after waking. 84% of respondents in the Forza study said that sticking to defined meal times is the best way to lose weight.”

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Best time for sex – 7:30 am

“Ideally around 45 minutes after waking to get over night-time grogginess and allow you to be completely refreshed (and clean your teeth!). Both sexes have more energy because they are well rested. Male testosterone levels peak in the morning, meaning they last longer in bed. The rush of endorphins sparked by sex lowers blood pressure and stress levels and makes for a more upbeat rest of the day.”

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Best time to work – 9:45 am

“Research shows we reach our mental peak around three hours after waking. Your concentration, memory, focus, and creativity should be best at this time of the day. Use this period to do that work that needs your best thinking, rather than using it for other tasks.”

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Best time to relax – 10:45 am

“This is when our stress levels are at their highest, particularly early on in the week when to-do lists tend to be biggest.”

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Best time for lunch – 12:15 pm

“This should be four hours after eating breakfast. Three-quarters of those surveyed (75%) found they benefited from never skipping a midday meal.”

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Best time to show willpower – 3:30 pm

“This is Snack O’Clock, when our willpower is at its weakest. Four out of ten respondents (39%) said that mid-afternoon was when they were most likely to break a diet.”

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Best time for dinner – 6:00 pm

“But don’t pig out even if you have been watching your calories all day. The vast majority of dieters surveyed by Forza (72%) said the key to successful weight loss was not to exceed your lunchtime calorie count at dinner – so you have even calorie intake throughout the day.”

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Best time for a drink – 6:15 pm

“This is known as Wine O’Clock when we unwind after a long day at work. The key is not to leave it too late because your body needs at least four hours for your liver to recover from alcohol consumption before sleep.”

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Best time to do weights – 6:30 pm

“Most studies find that strength is at a low point in the morning and gradually climbs until it tops in the early evening. The Forza research found that if training involved a lot of strength or power-based exercise, performance in the gym was best after work in the early evening.”

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Best time for bed – 10:10 pm

“This allows us 20 minutes to get to sleep and then 90 minutes for the most restorative non-REM (rapid eye movement) sleep which is best achieved before midnight.”

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