Regular exercise has many benefits for good health. In the quest for the benefits, people always ask: What is the best time to exercise in the day?
Is there a best time in the day to exercise really? Well, it is an exercise worthy of an investigation.
Let us separate the day into three different times you can choose to workout
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- Early Morning
- Afternoon
- Early Evening
Exercising in the afternoon usually is tight for busy folks who put in some hours at work during the day. Dashing for a workout at lunchtime is just not the best.
Even for stay at home mothers, the afternoons are busy with preps for the family and the work from home jobs (blogging) and hobbies.
That leaves the morning workouts to compare with the evening workouts.
Let us have a quick look at some of the benefits of regular exercise which I assume is the primary reason why we all workout.
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- Weight Loss and Control
- Muscular Strength and Growth
- Bone Strength
- Heart Strength
- Lower Blood Pressure
- Clears Bad Cholesterol
- Regulates Blood Sugar
- Improves Brain Health & Memory
- Reduces Stress and Depression
- Good Body Outlook
- Improves Sleep Quality
It really does pay to engage in a regular exercise program. Not only for weight loss and the body outlook but it chases away some of the diseases that come with inactivity.
>> Benefits of Regular Exercise
Back to the question of the best time comparing between morning exercise and evening exercise
The Pros for Morning Exercise
1. Exercising in the morning on an empty stomach is better for fat loss and helps boost metabolism. When you exercise your body needs an instant energy supply.
This would normally come from the food you would have eaten. So when you have not eaten anything your body will break down stored fat to burn for energy.
Throughout the day you will continue to burn calories with the afterburn effect which boosts the day’s metabolism rate.
2. Working out in the morning boosts your mental alertness and vastly improves your cognitive function for the day.
Exercise makes your heart beat faster and blood flow increases to all parts of the body including the brain. The improved flow delivers oxygen-rich blood to the brain which then functions better for the day.
3. Morning exercise will boost your mood for the day from the release of mood-boosting endorphin hormones.
You will enjoy the natural high of exercise for that day and perform your tasks better.
4. The early rise exercise covers your workout program for the day. You are more likely to keep to your exercise schedule when you workout in the morning.
Other disturbances of the day will not affect your program as it is already covered.
5. By the end of the day you will be tired and ready to fall into a deep sound sleep. The morning exercise ensures you sleep better at the end of the day.
The Cons for Morning Exercise
1. It is not easy to get up very early in the morning. Yes, you set the alarm but getting out of bed at 5 or 6 am is not one of the easiest things.
You have to push yourself to build this into a habit
2. Getting up early means the previous night you have to sleep early as well. Sleeping early will ensure you get your essential 7-9 hours of quality sleep
The problem is sleeping early sometimes is just not possible due to family and other life commitments.
3. Early morning exercise has a higher risk of injury. As you wake up in the morning your joints and muscles will be stiff from the state of rest.
Ensure that you warm up thoroughly to avoid exercise injury and muscle cramps
The Pros for Evening Exercise
1. According to the Weizmann Institute of Science, early evening exercise is more efficient as you need less energy and less oxygen during the exercise.
Your heart, lungs, and blood system will not have to work that hard as less oxygen is required for the same effort as in the morning.
2. End-of-day workouts are better for strength building and endurance. In the early evening, you have more fuel to burn from the food you consumed during the day for better muscle building.
Your body temperature will be at a peak in the early evening for maximum exercise performance
3. End-of-day exercise is good to rid your mind of all the day’s stress. Stress build-up is bad for our overall health. You build up stress as you go through the day’s challenges.
It is good to exercise in the early evening and enjoy the release of the feel-good endorphin hormones that will make you feel relaxed, calm and collected.
4. Exercising at the end of the day has less risk of injuries as your muscles and joints perform at their peak due to the elevated body temperature.
You will have spent the day moving around doing your chores. This loosens and makes your muscles and joints more ready for exercise.
5. You can do longer workouts in the evening as you will not be rushing to go to work unlike in the morning.
Hopefully, your chores for the day will be done and you have all the time to exercise.
The Cons for Evening Exercise
1. End of day exercise interferes with your sleep as your body temperature remains elevated for a while after exercise.
You remain alert and energized for a few hours after the workout. You will not be able to sleep early as your body needs time to wind down and cool off.
2. Evening workouts are prone to disturbances by unexpected events that just pop up. Situations occurring that are beyond your control can force you to cancel your workouts.
This disturbs your whole program and you may not be able to achieve your set goals. This is one major advantage the morning workout has over the evening workout.
In Conclusion
There is no best time to exercise in the day. The time you choose to exercise all depends on your goals and your schedules.
Look at what you are comfortable with and what keeps you motivated. It is all exercise after all. Either way, you get to enjoy the benefits of regular exercise mentioned above.
If you find that there are too many disturbances at the end of the day then switch to the mornings. Remember why you started the workout program in the first place.
>> How to be Motivated for Exercise
Aim to make regular exercise a habit and a lifestyle. Do not let anything distract you from achieving your fitness goals
Please leave a comment in the comments section. If you have any questions or need to engage, do not hesitate to write in the comments section. I will definitely get back to you.
Cheers…….
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