Muscle Chow

The most common question – What is the best time of the day to exercise? While some people find exercising in the morning as a calming, stress-relieving, and healthy way to start their day, others prefer to work out in the evening to relieve their exhausting day. Here we are to help you understand the benefits of working out in the morning or evening:

Advantages of a morning workout

Exercise is supposed to feel good, When the alarm goes off, the last thing you probably want to do is roll out of bed, lace up your sneakers, and head to the gym. But there are some great advantages to a morning workout worth considering.

Morning exercise will help to wake you up

The endorphins released during your exercise will make you start the day with positivity and excitement. Morning exercise can also boost a person’s mood more than evening exercise. Moreover, it will increase your mental alertness throughout the day.

Your habit may be more consistent to help you establish a fitness routine

People who exercise in the morning are often more consistent simply because morning workouts leave less room for excuses.  Head out the door before you even have time to second-guess yourself, and by the time your 100 percent awake, you will already be on the machines.

Can make you more productive

Research has found that exercising in the morning has a beneficial effect on energy levels, alertness, focus and decision-making, which can translate to a more productive workday.

You may burn more fat

It’s been proven, too, that people can burn significantly more body fat exercising on an empty stomach i.e., in the fasted state is more likely to burn more fat than exercising after a meal. This happens because your body must utilize fat stores that already exist to fuel exercise, rather than use the food you just ate as fuel.

You may experience better sleep

This may improve your sleep cycle. Morning workouts might also be a good option for stress-free snoozing. Since exercise increases heart rate and body temperature, working out too late in the evening may disrupt sleep. Morning exercise also seems to boost deep sleep and this facilitate in muscle growth, so you might even see more strength gains if your sleep cycle improve.

Advantages of an afternoon/evening workout

If you cannot fit in a workout in the a.m., don’t sweat it (literally). There are plenty of reasons why exercising later in the day can be a smart choice.

On the other hand, evening exercise is found to have better performance. You may feel more ready for exercise in the afternoon: more flexible, more mobile, more physically energetic.

You are already warmed up

Your body gets warmer as the day goes on and can get into groove faster for afternoon and evening workouts. Your body temp typically increases throughout the day, so muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance may peak in the late afternoon.

You may have a better reaction time

In younger adults, the afternoon is when reaction time is fastest, so it might be the best time for a game of “open-skill” sports like basketball and soccer that require quick thinking and moving.  People who exercise in the evening take up to 20% longer to reach the point of exhaustion.

Hormones can work to your advantage

Hormone levels also play a role in determining optimal workout time. Furthermore, a study by ‘Chronobiology International’ found that afternoon exercise releases higher levels of testosterone, which plays a key role in gaining muscles.

The body may produce more testosterone during late afternoon resistance training than it does during morning workouts.

Late-day exercise can relieve stress

Exercise is always a good way to relieve stress but working out at night can really help you blow off some steam. The surge of endorphins you get during and after exercise that helps you wind down before bed.

Morning vs Evening

It’s most important to find a realistic, consistent workout schedule, no matter what the time. Be it your diet plan, exercises, or small activities you do, all these make a lot of difference in your body tone.

If working out in the morning is the best for your schedule, just make sure to warm up muscles that might be cold and tight from sleep.

And to keep afternoon workouts consistent, treat them as unbreakable appointments.

The fact is, people who work out consistently at the same time of day see better results, regardless of whether they choose morning, noon, or night to hit the gym.