Different people have varying schedules for their day to day events. Working out sessions is also part of these schedules and tend to vary from one individual to the other.
Nevertheless, regardless of your workout timing, there is no doubt that exercising is better and beneficial in maintaining a healthy lifestyle unlike when one does not exercise at all.
Therefore, whether you are always up at the crack of dawn for your routine morning jog, or you prefer doing it in the late afternoon or the evening, there are varying benefits associated with different workout times.
Morning Workouts
According to recent studies, working out in the morning enhances a good night’s sleep. There is a huge disparity in the sleeping patterns of people who workout in the morning from those who prefer working out later in the day or in the evenings. Considering the health benefits associated with a good night’s sleep, morning workout sessions will be advantageous to you both mentally and physically.
According to Doctor Collier, Ph.D. and an assistant professor in the department of health, leisure and exercise science at Appalachian State University, good sleep elevates the cardio health while minimizing stress and anxiety.
In addition, it also assists in maintaining weight while also decreasing the blood pressure. Other studies have established that working out in the morning on an empty stomach allows one to burn twenty percent more fat than when relying on carbohydrates from food.
However, if you workout in the morning it is important to take some time warming up since the body temperature is generally low and you could be more prone to an injury or sprain.
Afternoon Workouts
Afternoon workouts have their own physical and psychological benefits as well. For starters, it boosts the workout performance. Some studies have suggested that there is a higher possibility of better performance with complex workouts in the afternoon. Again, the joints and muscles are more adaptable to exercise in the afternoon due to the higher body temperatures.
The body’s temperature is important in determining your performance. With lower temperatures, you are prone to stiff muscles and sprains unlike with higher temperatures that give the muscles more flexibility. Since the body temperature increases as the day progress, the muscles are much stronger and have increased endurance in the late afternoons.
The afternoon performance is also improved by the fact that the heart rate and the blood pressure are minimal whereas there is faster reaction time. On the other hand, testosterone which is key to enhancing muscle growth is produced more by the body in the afternoon strength workouts as compared to the morning.
Overall
It is difficult to prove that calories are burnt more effectively during a particular time in a day. However, timing can influence your post-exercise feeling. Nevertheless, it is recommended that one should choose a time he or she can stick to, so as to enhance consistency.
It is therefore important to have in place a scheduled time for exercising on a regular basis irrespective of whether it’s in the morning or the evening.
About the Author: Jane Hart
Working crazy hours in a high-stress work environment resulted in my body one day telling me, “Enough is enough!”
Navigating this serious health journey was both mentally and physically exhausting. But through some serious mindset work and instilling healthy habits, I was able to rebuild my life one day at a time and come out stronger on the other side!
Now my mission is to empower women like me to prioritize their fitness and well-being in a healthy, sustainable way and build a community of strong, happy and healthy women!
