Some people prefer to do their workout before sunrise. Others prefer to exercise in the afternoon. Finding the most suitable time to do your workout is a matter of preference, and it also has something to do with your physiology.
When you exercise regularly, you will notice the following:
- Increased levels of happiness
- Significant improvement in brain power
- Better sleep quality
Why do you workout? Do you do it to lose weight, make yourself look better, stay fit and healthy, or for other reasons? Whatever it is that you want to achieve, bear in mind that consistency is the key to your success. You only have a limited workout time, and you need to get the most out of it. You can schedule your workouts and make sure to include your cardio, flexibility, and strength training. It may be easier for you to keep track of your progress if you have a template where you can plot the following:
- Date
- Name of exercises that you need to do for the day
- Number of repetitions
- Number of sets
- Other important data
The template can help you remain consistent. When you lack consistency in your workouts, you may never achieve your goal at the expected time. You may not even achieve anything at all. You may choose to do your workout in the morning, afternoon, or evening. But before you choose, consider the advantages and disadvantages of working out in your chosen time of day.
Working Out in the Morning
Some people start to jog at 6 a.m. and say that it helps to make their hearts thump fast, and get them motivated to start their day. Doing your workouts in the morning sometimes makes it easier to create a consistent workout routine. If you want to reach your workout goals, you need to exert consistent effort to achieve them. You may hear many people say that the time of day to do your workout is not important. But, you need to think again after learning that your intervertebral discs are hydrophilic in the morning. When it says that the intervertebral discs of your spine are hydrophilic which means they can absorb fluids. Your discs can soak up the most fluid when you are sleeping. Your spine is free from gravitational force and not being compressed when you sleep. The compression takes place when you stand or sit. You must allow some time for the fluid to drain and the discs to compress. This can help prepare your spinal column for the activities that you need to do. The fluid can put pressure on the spine and may give you an unpleasant experience. Also, the pressure may lead to some injuries.
If you are thinking about the time of day when calories burn more efficiently, it’s best to stop figuring it out right now. There is no solid evidence that shows that the human body can burn more calories efficiently at certain hours in a day. However, a certain hour in a day can influence your mood and enthusiasm when working out. Morning exercises may just be the most ideal option for someone who looks forward to a stress-free snoozing. Your heart rate increases when you exercise and the same thing happens with your body temperature. One study discovered that doing a moderate 45-minute exercise in the morning, like doing a brisk walk on a treadmill can help curb appetite. Research also reveals that exercising on an empty stomach, which is always the case after waking up, allows a person to burn up to 20% more body fat.
Working Out in the Afternoon
Not everyone is a morning person, and you may only gain the opposite effect of exercising when you force yourself to do them in the morning. If your body is used to going to the gym at 4 p.m. everyday, you may have already developed the habit and will perform better when you stick to it. Changing the time may only bring unfavorable effects. The core temperature of your body is an essential factor in ascertaining the quality of workout. The muscles are usually inefficient, susceptible to sprains, and stiff when you have a cold body. On the other hand, the muscles are more flexible when you have higher body temperatures. The body temperature gets higher as the day goes by. Muscle endurance and strength may reach its peak when the temperature of the body is at its highest in the late afternoon, which is also the time of day when the blood pressure and heart rate are lowest and reaction time is swift.
You may also determine your optimal workout time through the hormone levels. For men and women, the hormone testosterone is essential for muscle growth. Your body produces more testosterone during resistance training in the late afternoon than morning exercises. Also, the hormone cortisol, which is also known as the stress hormone, is at its peak in the morning. Cortisol is also responsible for storing fat and reducing muscle tissue. The cortisol level decreases toward the end of the day and during workouts.
Working Out at Night
Evening workouts may just be the worst time to exercise because it may affect your sleep cycle. Studies discovered that those who engaged in a vigorous workout three hours or less before hitting the sack may have trouble falling asleep. Your heartbeat accelerates when you do vigorous movements. Your heart pumps more blood to the muscles. The action increases the overall flow of blood, including the supply of blood to your brain. You will experience heightened alertness and energy when your brain receives a great amount of blood flow.
When you exercise, your body releases different hormones like norepinephrine and adrenaline. These hormones can increase your metabolism, energy, and heart rate that help a lot during the workout and can prevent you from falling asleep. After working out, your body cools down, and your hormones return to normal levels. However, the length of the cool down period varies from person to person. Some people are fine after half an hour, and there are some who need several hours to cool down. Working out after 8 p.m. may lead to troubled sleep, while others claim that at 7 p.m. workout may help you gain a better sleep at night.
The best schedule to workout is the time when you can be most consistent. At a glance, working out at night may seem the worst time of all. But remember that everything will be fine when your body only takes mere minutes to cool down. You may only be able to see the best results when you remain consistent with your workout schedule no matter if you choose morning, afternoon, or night.