You’re resolved to make exercise a priority and schedule workouts into your routine on a regular basis. So far, so good. But when you’re trying to make room in your daily routine, where should you stick the workout? Before breakfast? Lunchtime? Before bed? Everyone prefers to work out at different times, and when you do it will depend on your schedule and personal preferences. But if you want to get the most out of your workout, is there a perfect time of the day to do it?
The Morning
Some people get up before the sun even rises and get in an early morning workout. Are they crazy for getting up so early? Or do they know something you don’t about the best time of day to exercise? There can be some benefits to working out in the morning. Studies show that people who work out before breakfast are more likely to stick to their exercise routine and reach or keep their desired weight. A brisk work out in the morning can boost your energy and make you feel empowered and ready to take on the day ahead of you. It can be a big boost to your self-esteem, too, knowing that you already completed your fitness goal for the day.
The Afternoon
Other people use their lunch breaks to hit the gym, and they prefer to work out sometime in the afternoon or in the middle of the day. Are they crazy for sacrificing their relaxation time for a work out? For those people, working out in the afternoon is like taking a break and getting away from their routine for a bit. When they finish their workout, they feel reenergized and refreshed. Using your lunch break to work out is also a great way to save time and fit a work out into a busy schedule. The only downside is finding time to shower before returning to work, or maybe you’ll just finish up the day a little sweatier.
The Evening
There are other people who work out late in the evening, almost right before bedtime. After they’ve accomplished all their other goals and obligations, they then take another chore and exercise. Are they crazy, too? If you want to get your work out in right before bed, more power to you. Everyone is different in the way their body works. For some people, working out before bed may tire them out enough to fall soundly asleep. Others might find that it gets their adrenaline going and makes it harder to sleep.
The Verdict
The truth is that there is no one time of day that will give you better results from your work out. You won’t burn more calories at one time than another, so the perfect time of day to exercise is whatever works best for you. If you’re not quite sure, experiment with working out and different times and see which you prefer. Whatever time of day makes it easiest for you to stick to your routine is the perfect time for you, and that’s never crazy.
Gareth Smith is an english-born soccer coach and fitness expert who enjoys taking to the internet to blog about fitness and health. To ensure all his articles and texts are free of any grammatical errors he proofs them with a grammar checker.
Photo Credit: Hotel Concorde Berlin