What Time of Day Is Best to Work Out?

Science says it’s best to workout in the morning – no, wait, in the evening! If you’re looking for the best time to workout, you’ll find studies to support each of your options. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each choice, so you can decide what’s best. your calendar.

Why there is no scientific “best” time to exercise

As with any scientific question, there is many scientific answers. A recent study found that in a group of Australians with a BMI over 30 (mean age 62.2), those who did most of their aerobic exercise in the evening had lower rates of mortality, cardiovascular disease and microvascular disease to those who did most of their exercise in the evening. in the morning or noon.

Of course, this is not the only study ever carried out on the subject. A few months earlier, another study found that people who exercise in the morning tend to have a slightly lower BMI (25.9 versus 27.2) compared to those who exercise in the evening.

If you start reading all the studies on exercise timing, you’ll find plenty of other seemingly contradictory evidence. A study even divided his results into groups to say that women got some benefits from morning exercise, other benefits from evening exercise, and men then got (yet different) benefits from morning exercise. evening. Given that the study population was only 36 people, I’m going to take these very specific results with a grain of salt.

Ultimately, the most important thing to know about exercise timing is what the authors of this review on exercise timing wrote in his conclusion: “It is essential to note that exercise at any time of the day is more beneficial than no exercise. »

The benefits of morning workouts

Morning workouts are the classic sign of a motivated go-getter. The arguments for a morning workout are all about productivity and time management, which are often more important than biological benefits.

• You know you will have time to adapt. If work is busy or you feel tired at the end of the day, these issues won’t stop you from doing your workout: you’ve already done it.

• You may benefit from a boost in mood and energy for the rest of the day. Experiences vary, but many people find that exercising in the morning improves their mental health throughout the morning, or even all day.

• Morning exercise outdoors can train your circadian clock. If you exercise outside, such as jogging, it also helps you get some sunshine. Morning light can help your body clock stay on track, which can help you feel sleepy at night.

• You can take caffeine before your workout. Caffeinated pre-workout powders (or energy drinks or coffee) can help you focus better and work harder at the gym. But consuming caffeine late in the day can disrupt your sleep. So if you want to use an intense pre-workout, consider doing your workout in the morning.

So if you want to improve your sleep, have more energy in the morning and throughout the day, and consume caffeine during your workout, morning exercise might be the best option for you. Mornings are also ideal for people whose schedules may be unpredictable throughout the day. But don’t set your alarm early just yet: Evening workouts have benefits, too.

The benefits of evening workouts

Evening workouts make a lot of sense for many of us, including those who (like me) struggle to get moving in the morning. Consider these benefits of evening workouts:

• You can’t oversleep and miss your workout. If you’re naturally more of a night owl, this could be a real problem.

• You may be able to concentrate better with your workday behind you. Making time for a long workout or focusing for an intense workout can sometimes be easier when most of the day’s obligations have already been met.

• You will be better nourished. It can be difficult to properly fuel up before a morning workout. If you train in the evening, you may need to adjust the exact timing (snack before workout and dinner after, for example), but at least you’ll have something in your belly.

• Your performance could be better. Your core temperature tends to be higher in the evening, and some studies show a slight improvement in performance in terms of strength and oxidative capacity (which is related to your ability to burn fuel for energy). This may mean you’ll more easily see your fitness reflected in how much you can lift or how fast you can run.

So if you struggle to wake up early, eat for a morning workout, or find the time and focus to exercise before starting your day, evening workouts can be the best for you.

How to decide

It’s likely that one of these options speaks to you more than the other. It can be as simple as knowing whether you’re a morning or evening person. Your decision may also be easy if your daily schedule only has one good time to work out. Either way, even if it’s noon or 2 a.m., the smart schedule is what you’ll be able to stick to. After all, if a morning workout is ideal but you never get there, there’s no need to feel attached to morning workouts.

You also don’t have to consider yourself a follower of either camp. You can train on Monday and Thursday morning and sleep in on Tuesday and Friday so you can train in the evening on those days. Or maybe you change your schedule according to the seasons: jogging at sunrise in the summer is great, but running at 6 a.m. in the winter is no fun with the darkness and snow. Choose what makes sense to you.