Is there an ideal time of day to get a great workout in? It may depend on how busy your schedule is and your sleep patterns. There is science behind the best time to work out, but there is evidence for all periods. Let’s look at the details behind the best time of day to work out.
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Morning Workouts
As someone who chooses to exercise in the morning, the benefits are endless. Working out in the morning helps you to be consistent with exercise, according to one study. You have the workout done and over with before everyone wakes up! Here are some other backed benefits of working out in the morning.
Appetite Control and Fat Burning
Exercising in the morning can improve the after burn effect throughout the day, causing you to burn more calories. According to a study by EBioMedicine, it must be done before breakfast. In addition, regular exercise improves hormones associated with hunger queues overall, but starting in the morning will help promote better appetite control throughout the day.
Increases Productivity
According to The British Journal of Sports Medicine, working out in the morning increases memory, attention, and visual learning. In addition, people who exercise in the morning tend to be more active and have more energy all day. In addition, morning exercise improves your quality of sleep and lowers resting blood pressure. Therefore morning exercise has an added benefit for people at risk for high blood pressure.
Better Sleep
What about if you are not a morning person? Exercising in the morning can improve your sleep patterns to help you wake up earlier. A study found that exercising before 7 am helps your internal clock shift, improving your wakefulness in the morning and helping you sleep faster in the evening.
Afternoon Workouts
Working out in the afternoon still has excellent benefits, but it may not be an optimal time for everyone. If you can fit in an afternoon workout, here are the benefits for you.
Optimal Performance
Your performance may peak during the afternoon, and you are less tired and have a higher body temperature to improve mobility and muscular performance. According to a study, your body temperature is at its highest between 2 pm and 6 pm allowing your body to be the readiest for exercise.
Energy and Alertness
Afternoon exercise may have the same benefits as the morning when it comes to your internal body clock. The Journal of Physiology notes that exercise between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm improves alertness, like working out in the morning, and helps shift your internal clock to bring you down easier at night.
Good Use of Time
If you are not a morning person and work a traditional work schedule, a lunchtime workout may be your best option for fitting in fitness. It breaks up the monotony of your workday and allows you to put it on your schedule. This increases the probability of making your workout time, and you will also come back more energized to power through your day.
Nighttime Workouts
Sometimes nighttime is the only time of day you can do a workout, and that is okay! There are still significant benefits to working out at night.
Sleep Benefits
If you work out right before bedtime, you may have improved deep sleep. But to achieve this, it must be moderate activity, according to a study. However, high-intensity training before bed can disrupt sleep, causing you to wake up more at night.
You Can Workout Harder
You may be the readiest to exercise later in the day. Oxygen utilization, muscular strength, and performance peaks in the evening hours, one study concluded. This allows you to work out longer and harder at night vs. in the morning. In addition, the gym is less crowded at night, allowing you to use popular equipment easily.
You can de-stress from the day
Exercise is a great coping technique for stress, and what better way to let off steam from the day than to workout at the end of the day? Try a relaxing yoga routine for your nighttime activities to help you restore and refocus your thoughts.
So what is the best time of day?
The best time of day depends on your goals and schedule. These are just a handful of benefits of the times people choose to workout, but everyone is different. The best time of day is when you can commit to regular exercise, try to mix up when you work out to find the best fit for you!
