by James - This article may contain affiliate links.
With our busy schedules, careers, and social lives, it can be difficult to make time to work out even though we know it’s vital for our health and well-being. But when is it better to work out? Morning or evening?
It doesn’t matter when you work out. What really matters is that you find the best time that fits your schedule and exercise at a particular time every day. By doing so, your body predicts when it will have physical demands, and it shifts your biochemistry to make you more energized at that particular time of the day.
Read on as we explore the pros and cons of working out in the morning and evening. This post will help you determine which time is better for you to exercise.
Contents
Working Out In The Morning
If you’re about to start exercising in the morning, consider the following benefits and drawbacks.
Pros
Boosts Your Mood
Blood serotonin levels rise during exercise, which has a significant effect on improving your mood. When you exercise in the morning, you’ll get enough energy for the whole day, and you’ll do your daily chores with better mood and spirit.
Controls Your Blood Pressure
Morning exercise helps regulate your blood pressure. Interestingly, people working out in the morning won’t experience high blood pressure at the end of the day. So, exercising early in the morning is recommended for those who have heart disease and high blood pressure.
Decreases Your Appetite
Morning exercises decrease your ghrelin—hunger hormone—levels and affect your brain’s response to food cues, which significantly affects your weight loss.
Boosts Your Metabolism
Morning exercises increase your metabolism dramatically. Your body will still continue to burn calories after you finish your workout. This process is called Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), which is great for exercising, especially before breakfast.
Even if you have a meal, the body will use or store its protein as an energy source to replenish your system.
Helps Build Muscles
You need more testosterone to build more muscle. Testosterone levels rise in the morning and when you wake up. So exercising in the morning helps you gain more body mass.
Burns More Calories
Exercising in the morning and a fasted state will lead to higher fat oxidation—the process of burning fatty acids. So it could be much more effective compared to exercising in the evening or at night.
Fat oxidation not only helps you burn fat but also reduces the risk of diabetes. Plus, having a morning exercise program before breakfast is a great way to lose weight.
Cons
You May Need More Time To Warm Up
When you wake up, you may feel temporary stiffness and inflexibility in your joints. Also, at this time, your body is cooler, and your heartbeat is lower. So it may take longer to warm up in the morning.
You May Injure Yourself
It varies from person to person, but if you wake up early to perform your workout, you may feel nimble, and chances are you’re not entirely awake.
Exercising while you’re still unconscious and tired will increase the risk of injuring yourself. If you feel the same way when you wake up, wait for a few hours and then start exercising.
You’re Less Likely Stick To A Workout Routine
If you don’t like exercising in the morning and don’t enjoy it, it’s tough to stick to this exercise program and get used to it. If it relates to you, you better try working out in the evening. It’ll motivate you to get accustomed to daily exercise.
Working Out In The Evening
Let’s explore the pros and cons of exercising in the evening.
Pros
Blow Off the Steam Of The Day
If you are stressed after a long day of hard work, exercising at night can be a great way to relax and relieve stress. When you exercise, your body releases the feel-good chemicals called endorphins, which can make you more relaxed after a hard day.
Boost Your Metabolism
Exercising in the evening or at night also helps boost your metabolism. Performing 20 to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio workouts before bed will keep your metabolism running all night. So you’ll lose weight even when sleeping.
Enhance Sleep Quality
Strength training can improve sleep quality at any time of the day. If you have trouble sleeping at night, try to lift some weights as part of your nightly routine. It’ll help you fall asleep much easier.
This video features a ten-minute strength training that helps you burn calories and sleep better:
You can also add weights to the workout to maximize the calorie-burning. The Fitness Republic, Solid Steel Dumbbell set provides you with a collection of weights of any size.
Provide More Sources of Accountability
When you have someone who’s counting on you to work out with you at the gym, it’s hard to skip the workout session.
It’s easier to find workout buddies in the evening at 5 p.m than at 5 a.m. So, consider working out in the evening if you’re into group exercising.
Help You Tone Up Faster
Muscle function and strength peak in the evening and 11 hours after waking up. So you can exercise harder and longer and see the result in a shorter time.
Also, in the evening, you’re more hydrated than in the morning because you’ve drunk enough water throughout the day. The hydration will help you exercise much intensively and for longer periods.
Cons
It May Disrupt Your Sleep
Exercising is a kind of stress, and our bodies are designed to respond to stress by increasing adrenaline and releasing hormones. The increased adrenaline may affect your sleeping pattern.
If you have sleep disorders, you better exercise in the morning or do low-intensity cardio workouts like yoga or easy jogging.
Pilates can also be a great option. Try this 13-minute pilates routine:
There May be More Distraction In The Evening
Distractions that ruin exercise plans are many at night, such as spontaneous plans with friends or the temptation to watch TV.
Everyone has a different lifestyle and schedule. If you think you’re less concentrated at night and can’t stick to your workout routine, consider working out in the morning.
The Best Time of Day to Work Out: Same Time
As we mentioned earlier, when you exercise at the same time every day, your body will begin to expect it and be more prepared for working out.
It also helps you stick to a regular routine and quickly becomes a habit for you. So you plan for this specific time and will be less likely to skip a workout session.
Plus, getting used to a daily routine gives your muscles approximately 24 hours to recover. If you work out at random times, chances are your muscle won’t have enough time to fully recover.
Bottom Line
The best time of the day for working out is the time that you can do it consistently. Exercising in the morning and evening, both have advantages and disadvantages. The “right” time depends on factors like your preferences, lifestyle, and body, but it’s better to exercise at a specific time every day.
Last update on 2023-01-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
