WHAT IS THE BEST TIME OF THE DAY TO WORKOUT?
I’m asked this question by people who are trying to exercise and lose weight: What is the best time of the day to work out?For me, my best time is in the afternoon, after a full day of work. It helps me to wind down from the stress of the day and get ready to head home and be a family man again. Some people I know love the morning time. They say that it really gives them the chance to jump-start their day. But the truth is that there’s no reliable evidence to suggest that calories are burned more efficiently at certain times of day. It does however influence how you feel when exercising.
Here’s why:
Your body has an internal clock. It’s called your circadian rhythm. It determines whether you’re more prone to be a night owl or an early bird. Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot you can do to alter it. Your circadian rhythm is governed by the 24-hour pattern of the earth’s rotation. It can influence certain body functions like: blood pressure (up or down), body temperature, hormone levels, and heart rate. These all play a major role in your body’s readiness for exercise.
Test yourself. Find out what time of the day you feel more energetic. Once you know, use your body clock as a guide as to when you will be the most effective during that mountain hike, or participating in that spin class at the gym. Working around other important factors makes a difference as well. Family and work schedules as well as partnering with a buddy can add to the experience, making it that much more satisfying.
Benefits of Morning Exercise:
Experts say that mornings may be best if you have trouble staying consistent. It seems that people who set schedules for the morning time find it easier to manage things throughout the day. Oftentimes, work lasts longer than it should, meal preparation becomes a hassle and child care either makes or breaks the exercise opportunities.
“Research suggests in terms of performing a consistent exercise habit, individuals who exercise in the morning tend to do better,” says Cedric Bryant, PhD, chief science officer with the American Council on Exercise in San Diego.
Also, there is a belief amongst exercise enthusiasts that starting your day with exercise charges you. It revs up the metabolism and gets the body going. Those sluggish moments of the day seem to fade away with time, making you much more productive. But be careful, the body’s temperature usually is much lower during the day. So make sure that you give ample amounts of time to stretch and warm up. An injury can be an awful set back to your exercise regimen.
Later Considerations:
Some people just do better after their bodies have had a chance to truly wake up, like me. Getting up early to work out just doesn’t inspire me to really push hard in the gym. My past experience of running track in college gave me a normalized schedule of attending classes, eating lunch, and then practicing. I only got up early to compete and that wasn’t very pleasant. A buddy of mine agrees. “It’s easier to get my body into a rhythm because I’m not fighting my body the way I do in the morning,” he says.
There are those who take a piece of time during the middle of the day to get in a quick session. Lunchtime is the good time to exercise, especially if co-workers keep you company. Climbing the stairs in an office building, walking the perimeter or parking lot and even popping in a 30 minute video are some ways to get it in. Just be sure to eat after you work out, not before. Eating right after a meal can be counterproductive. Blood gets shunted to your digestive tract instead of going to your muscles, making it that much harder to get results. Experts suggest giving yourself at least 60 minutes after a medium portion and 90 minutes after a heavy meal.
Finding Your Own Best Time to Exercise
You don’t have to be an expert on circadian rhythms to determine the best time to exercise. Just get into a routine. Keep at it. One day, you’ll reach a point where daily exercise comes as naturally and putting forth a strong effort as easy as breathing. At that point, who knows, you may want to switch it up a bit and add some variety.
The most important thing is to choose a time of day you can stick with, so that exercise becomes a habit. Also, make sure you out your best foot forward. Wasting time in the gym with exercise that doesn’t challenge you is useless, no matter what time you go.
Colossians 3:23 says it best: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human man.” Keep God as a motivating factor in your life as if you are trying to please him. You’ll find your strength soon enough.
I’m a proponent of morning exercise for a few reasons.
First, there are people who say “I can’t function until I’ve had that first cup of coffee in the morning.” For some, it’s not so much about the coffee, but the boost. If they replaced coffee with exercise, they’d find that exercise provides an even better boost.
I’ve also found that the lull in energy that occurs in the early afternoon doesn’t happen on days I started with exercise. It seems the body’s ability to manage energy and attentiveness through the day is enhanced by morning exercise. Not sure if that would work for everyone, but I know it works for those who’ve told me, so give it a shot and see – the benefits of morning exercise go beyond the exercise itself.
Finally, I’ve heard from people who exercise after work in the evening that it takes them longer to go to bed, especially if they eat afterwards. Connect this to the above statement, that exercise changes energy management, and it’s evident that the extra energy available to the body after exercise makes it tough to fall asleep. Further, if people feel hungry after exercising, they’ve either got to wait 2hrs after eating after exercise before going to bed, or commit the mistake of going to bed before their food has had a chance to digest, causing all kinds of other problems.
Yes, “everyone is different,” sort of. This may not work for all – but if one were to try it out with these points in mind, they might recognize them more clearly when they are experienced, enabling them to know what’s happening in response to the new timing of the exercise at the start of the day.
All are excellent viewpoints Duane. Keep moving and stay healthy. Encourage others as you go!