The fitness world can be divided into three kinds of people - the first who head out for their workout at the crack of dawn and get revved up for the rest of the day. The second group is made up of those who prefer to get rid of the day’s stress with a great workout after work in the evening.
Finally, there are the in-between-ers who prefer to schedule their workouts sometime during the late morning or lunch hour depending on the rest of their daily program. The debate is still on about whether there is an ideal time to exercise and if so, exactly how does it impact the results of your workouts.
If you are an early bird
Given how hectic our lives are, the only sure-fire guaranteed way to regularly schedule a workout session into your day is to get it done first thing in the morning; and there are huge advantages.
Pros:
Experts agree that morning is the best time to exercise for those who have trouble with consistency. The reason for this is because you have got your workout out of the way before other time pressures interfere.
Exercise in the morning raises your heart rate and metabolism to burn more calories earlier in the day and leaves you full of energy for the rest of the day.
The increased blood flow through your brain improves your performance during the day.
In this part of the world, exercising in the morning makes more sense because the weather is cooler.
Getting your exercise out of the way first thing in morning does wonders for a person’s spirits – not just because of the endorphins – but also because you know you have been good.
Following from the last point – if you have worked hard in the morning, you will be less inclined to eat badly because you won’t want to ruin your hard work.
Cons:
Your body temperature is at its lowest in the first few hours of the day resulting in naturally lower energy and blood flow.
You have to spend more time warming up if you are going to exercise first thing in the morning.
Immediately after waking up, your body will naturally feel stiff , thus a warm-up is imperative
If you are a daytime eagle
Eagles like human beings are diurnal and are active during the day time and early evening. Due to the internal body rhythms we have, quite a few people like to exercise during lunch time. Working out during lunch time though means that one has to pay attention to when you eat your lunch – this has to be done after you work out and not before.
Pros:
Scheduling your workout in to your office schedule makes sense at a social level because your co-workers can also be involved.
Body temperature and hormone levels are high at this time and research has proved that this is a better time to exercise than early in the morning.
Increased blood flow to the brain makes you sharper in the afternoon and it provides relief from daytime stress.
Cons:
You have to rush back to your desk. This time constraint may limit and negatively impact your workout.
Work-related issues can distract you and affect your commitment and the regularity of your workout.
If you are a night owl
In this category we can include anyone who works out in the evening – after work or a few hours before bed time. A lot of people prefer working out in the evenings as they are not fighting sleep or a work related deadline, but are exercising after the day’s work is done thus ensuring that they are in a more relaxed frame of mind. It is also convenient for many who find it easier to drive by their gym on their way back home from work.
Pros:
The body temperature and hormone levels peak at 6 pm and exercising at this time will result in a workout that builds endurance and muscle.
The body’s lung function is at its best between 4 and 5 pm.
The muscles are warm and flexible and you can have a harder workout with lesser effort.
It is a great way to beat the stress that has built up during the day at work, home or school.
Cons:
Being delayed at work or unexpected guests could mean that you will miss your workout.
After exercising you will need anything between one to three hours to wind down before bed time or it can cause you sleep related problems.
Sometimes after a hard day at work, people can be more inclined to loose motivation and skip their workout session
The best time of the day for you to workout in is dependent on various elements like the Circadian rhythms and Diurnal Variation. However, ultimately the best workout time for you is dependent on just one factor – the time that makes exercising a consistent part of your life is the best workout time for you.
