Is it better to exercise in the morning or at night?

There are many conflicting ideas about when is the best time to exercise. It’s really a personal decision, but here I’ll lay out the information you need to know to exercise at different times of the day, so you can make the best decision for yourself.

Let’s start with a big myth about morning workouts: If you exercise before breakfast, you’ll burn more fat because you don’t have carbs in your system. The truth is that if you exercise on an empty stomach, your body will need to get its energy from somewhere, and without sufficient carbohydrate stores, your body will use protein for energy. Where does protein come from? Your body will begin to break down muscle to get the energy it needs. Remember, the more muscle you break down, the less fat you break down. So this actually causes more harm than good.

On the other hand, exercising in the morning after you’ve had a small snack will give your metabolism a big boost. As the body comes out of sleep, the metabolism is at its slowest. The body has spent the night repairing itself and now needs this energy to function during the day. When you get up and move around first thing in the morning, you get your blood moving as well as your digestive system as your body warms up. I’ve found that this is an ideal time to exercise, because your metabolism will be higher for the rest of the day and you’ll feel a greater sense of well-being from exercise.

It has been said that exercising at night helps you sleep better. This is true only if you give yourself adequate time to relax. Trying to exercise right before bed can cause trouble falling asleep. The body is tense, the blood is moving fast, and the heart is beating faster. Keep in mind that it is very important to get enough sleep to allow the body to repair itself. However, if you have enough time to relax, you should be fine. One of the benefits of exercising at night is that your body warms up from the day’s activities and can be a wonderful stress reducer.

Exercise time really comes down to when you are able to take your time. If you’re a morning person, chances are you’ll get more benefit from exercising in the morning. If you like afternoons, exercise in the evenings. Just remember to allow adequate heating time in the morning and cooling time in the evening.

The key to any exercise program is consistency, not the time of day you choose to exercise. Try different schedules and see which one keeps you most motivated or which one gives you the best results. The faster you can figure out what works best to keep you on track, the easier it will be to reach your goals.

We highly recommend learning more about the proper way to exercise so you can get the most out of your workouts and improve your quality of life.