Exercising is important to maintain overall health, but does the time of day that you workout matter?
According to WebMD the time of day doesn’t affect the number of calories burned, but “can influence how you feel when exercising.” Finding the best time for you to exercise will be based on trial and error and personal preferences.
Listen to Your Body Clock
Not everyone can be up and ready to go for a run at six in the morning. If you are not an early bird, don’t try to be one for the sake of exercising. Your body clock or your circadian rhythm cycle is what controls your sleep/wake cycle, when you get hungry and when you feel most productive. Since everyone’s body clock is different, the best time for you to workout depends on your body clock. Research shows that there are two distinctive chronotypes: “Morning people tend to wake up and go to sleep earlier and to be most productive early in the day. Evening people tend to wake up later, start more slowly and peak in the evening.” This is why early birds feel best exercising in the morning and night owls feel more comfortable exercising at night.
Determine Your Goal
If your goal is to lose weight, then exercise early in the morning.
People who exercise in the morning are more consistent with their workouts and workout more frequently than those who typically exercise at night. By working out in the morning, you will be less ravenous for breakfast and will be more likely to make smarter choices when it comes to food throughout the day. Also, since your metabolism is already revving, you will burn calories throughout the day rather than while you’re sleeping.
If your goal is to get stronger, then exercise in the late afternoon or early in the evening.
Between 2-6 p.m. is when testosterone is most responsive and your body temperature reaches its peak. You will also feel slightly stronger and have increased flexibility. Plus, your lungs function most efficiently in the afternoon. This is the time to be doing strength training, such as lifting weights or body resistance exercises.
If your goal is to set a personal record, then exercise at the same time, all the time.
You want to be able to rule out the time of day as something that affects your performance, so make sure you train at the same time every single day. When it comes to training, the more consistent you are in your training schedule, the better prepared you’ll be when it comes to race day.
Leave Higher Intensity Workouts for Late Afternoon
If you choose to workout in the morning, focus on doing light and easy exercises, such as a gentle swim or yoga. This is because your body temperature is low and your muscles are not fully warmed up making you more prone to injury. If you can only workout in the mornings, start slow and build up the intensity as you go. And don’t forget to warm up. Start by doing some jumping jacks or walking for at least 5-10 minutes. Save the cardio, weight training or any other high intensity workout for the afternoon when your body temperature and your muscle repair and recovery rate peaks. Also, it is not advisable to do intense workouts every day, so mix in easier aerobic workouts.
If you’re not already working out on a regular basis, finding the time to workout will be tricky at first, let alone finding the best time to workout for you. This is why the American Heart Association recommends breaking down physical activity into 3-10 minute increments. Remember, what’s most important is working out at a time that works for you and will encourage you to make exercise a part of your daily routine.
(Feature Photo via Self)