You often read how a workout in the morning is exceptionally good and how it sets the day with more energy to spare. However, if you look at our scheduling, you’ll notice we have sessions in the morning, in the afternoon and early evening. There’s a reason for that. Not everyone is the same. Not only do people have different schedules, their bodies have different schedules, too. Some people are at their prime in the morning and others can barely ask for coffee, let alone think about a workout.
You make the difference!
If you’re an early bird, then getting the workout out of the way and moving on to your next task can make an early morning workout perfect. You get it done and never have to worry about the occurrences through the day that can interrupt your plans for the gym. It can also boost your energy and set your day off right. However, for those night owls, that old song, “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” could be changed to “Waking Up Is Hard to Do.” You’ll be more apt to skip your workout and spend a few more minutes in bed, plus your body may not be ready to take on the hard work, like it might be later in the day.
Some studies show that people who workout in the morning tend to be more consistent.
That’s easy to understand. Morning people tend to have their own inner clock that wakes them when the sun rises. There’s really nothing else going on at that time either, unless the farm report on TV is of particular interest. Working out later may have it’s drawbacks, like scheduling problems and other diversion pulling you away from the workout, but it also lets you blow off steam from all the garbage you faced throughout the day and the stressors.
Morning workouts are a benefit if you’re trying to shed weight.
here’s a lot of scientific studies, like the 2012 BYU study, that showed early morning exercises lost weight faster than those that didn’t. One reason was that it gave a jumpstart to metabolism that helped burn calories throughout the day. You exercise after fasting all night, which also helps, exercising while fasting burns fat stores, rather than the calories from food.
- If you workout later in the day, you don’t have to do as much warming up. Your body is 20 percent more flexible as it is the first thing in the morning.
- Studies show that people who worked out later in the day often had a more intense workout and worked harder. Lungs are at peak efficiency later in the day and protein synthesis peaks. Endurance is better, too.
- Evening workouts can raise the body temperature and interfere with sound sleep. Weight lifting proved different when it came to evening workouts. It actually improved the quality of sleep better than people who lifted in the morning.
- No matter what time you work out, doing it is important. If you’re simply not a morning person and will probably miss sessions because of it, workout in the afternoon or evening.