A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about making fitness a priority and scheduling time for your workouts. From that article I received many questions about the different benefits time of day had on exercise, and what time of day was best.
Some people swear by a 5 am sweat session to get their hearts racing before the day. Others wouldn’t dream of losing a minute of their precious sleep and prefer breaking out in sweat after a long day of work or after dinner.
There are many benefits to early morning exercise as is there many perks to an evening workout. Find out what works best for you.
I plan my workouts in the morning because that is what works best for me. I am not an early riser, if given the option of any extra hour of sleep or a workout, sleep wins every time. So I don’t make it an option. I just do it. I know if I don’t, I won’t make it to the gym at all. If I don’t exercise in the morning, other things including children, work and the rest of the chaos of my everyday life will interfere and bump my exercise out.
With exercise, your body will take in more oxygen and improve your blood circulation. A morning workout will have you enjoying more physical and mental energy, alert mind, and reduced stress for the day from this increased oxygen and improved circulation.
Morning exercise may also boost your metabolic rate. As result, you will burn more calories through the day.
If you choose early mornings for your workouts, remember hitting the sack early will help. Regular bed times will help you find the energy you need for your early workouts.
Are you cringing at the idea of losing a bit of sleep in order to get your workout in? If sleep is going to win that battle every morning, maybe it is best not to fight it and just plan your workouts for the end of the day.
Working out is a great way to relax and clear your mind, especially after a long stressful day. By choosing to exercise in the evening, you may find that you have more time to dedicate to your workout as there isn’t the rush to get on with your day.
If you are an evening snacker, training in the evening may help curb your craving to snack before bed and ultimately have a better more restful sleep.
Regardless of the benefits that time of day has, choose a time of day you can commit to and stick with it.
