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This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the effects of physical activity on the robustness of the circadian system and the benefits for health, performance, and wellbeing. We propagate practical implications of circadian activity rhythms for diagnosis and the advantages of scheduled motor activity.

Circadian rhythms are an inherent property of all living systems and an essential part of the external and internal temporal order. They enable organisms to be synchronized with their periodic environment and guarantee the optimal functioning of organisms. Any disturbances, so-called circadian disruptions, may have adverse consequences for health, physical and mental performance, and wellbeing. The environmental light–dark cycle is the main zeitgeber for circadian rhythms. Moreover, regular physical activity is most useful. Not only does it have general favorable effects on the cardiovascular system, the energy metabolism and mental health, for example, but it may also stabilize the circadian system via feedback effects on the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), the main circadian pacemaker. Regular physical activity helps to maintain high-amplitude circadian rhythms, particularly of clock gene expression in the SCN. It promotes their entrainment to external periodicities and improves the internal synchronization of various circadian rhythms. This in turn promotes health and wellbeing. In experiments on Djungarian hamsters, voluntary access to a running wheel not only stabilized the circadian activity rhythm, but intensive wheel running even reestablished the rhythm …