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The best time of the day for your team to be productive

Forza Supplements, who has monitored the body clocks of 1,000 people, has revealed that 9.45am is the best time to work. In its recent study, researchers worked out the optimum times of the day to do a range of the most popular activities to get the most out of the day.

According to the study, here is the 12-point plan to live a healthy life:6.45am: best time to wake-upIdeally 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.

7am: best time to go for a run 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.

7.15am: best time for breakfast This should be around 30 minutes after waking. 84% of respondents in the study said that sticking to defined mealtimes is the best way to lose weight.

7.30am: best time for sex 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.

9.45am: best time to work 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.

10.45am: best time to relaxThis is when our stress levels are at their highest, particularly early on in the week when to-do lists tend to be biggest.

12.15pm: best time for lunch This should be four hours after eating breakfast. Three-quarters of those surveyed (75%) found they benefited from never skipping a midday meal.

3.30pm: best time to show willpower 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.

6pm: best time for dinner 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 lunch-time calorie count at dinner - so you have even calorie intake throughout the day.

6.15pm: best time for a drink 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.

6.30pm: best time to do weights 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.

10.10pm: best time for bed 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.

In the report, Forza Supplements managing director Lee Smith said: "What we set out to do was to find out the absolute optimum times to work, rest and play. While no two people are the same, these were found to be the very best times for the average person to do the key activities which make for a healthy and happy life.”

"Making small adjustments to your routine can really help you to lose weight, get fitter, be more effective at work and even a better lover,” he added.

Photo / 123RF

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