Best Time To Exercise For Optimal Results
When to workout is the million-dollar question. It is also one of the first questions beginners have when they get a gym membership. It’s no secret that being in the right place and at the right time can make all the difference. But does it work in the case of working out? You’ll find out in this article.
Understanding Your Body
Your body’s circadian rhythm (physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a daily cycle) determines whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, and there’s not much you can do to change it. The rhythm is governed by the 24-hour pattern of the earth’s rotation and influences body functions such as blood pressure, body temperature, hormone levels, and heart rate.
According to a study, your circadian rhythm affects everything from energy or fatigue to temperature and hormones. The research is enough to prove that doing certain things at a particular time in the day can yield better results as compared to doing them at random times every day.
For instance, you might be more effective in tackling cognitive tasks in the morning and chores in the evening. Even if you schedule activity around your work or life, it’s nice to know how you can enhance your results around the clock.
Best Supplements For A Transformation
Benefits of Morning Workouts
A Clear Mind
Training is as much a psychological task as it is physiological. You can’t expect your muscles to grow if you don’t have a solid mind-muscle connection. Having a laser-sharp focus can be hard if your phone is constantly buzzing and you have people you need to answer to.
As the day progresses, things on your to-do list might pile on and they can end up taking a large chunk of your mental space. Hitting the gym at dawn has a soothing and calming effect that can work wonders for your training.
Consistency
Many people skip their evening workouts because they’re swayed away by their friends, family or work. Hitting the gym early morning is one of the best ways of maintaining consistency as you’ll be training while your peers are sleeping.
“Research suggests in terms of performing a consistent exercise habit, individuals who exercise in the morning tend to do better,” says Cedric Bryant, Ph.D., chief science officer with the American Council on Exercise in San Diego.
Less-Crowded Gyms
This is probably the most understated benefit of working out early in the morning. 5-7 a.m. is the sweet spot where gyms are usually empty and you don’t have to wait your turn to use the machines or dumbbells.
Benefits of Evening Workouts
Longer Workouts
If you’re someone who trains after work, you can probably afford the luxury of staying in the iron paradise for longer. When you’re exercising in the morning, you can’t overstay your welcome as you risk ruining your schedule.
Stress-Busters
There are only a few things as effective for relieving stress as a good training session. The sole reason why many people like to workout in the evening is that they can drop the office tension in the gym and don’t have to carry it home.
Better Sleep
Some people have a hard time falling and staying asleep. These individuals can’t get their mind to turn-off. An annihilating workout has a mind-dumbing property that can help knock you out as soon as you hit the sack.
Your Goals
While some people swear by a 6 a.m. workout to get their day going, the others can’t imagine hitting the gym before 5 p.m. or rather prefer a walk around the neighborhood after dinner. No matter at what time these people train, they’re always wondering if they’re doing it correctly.
Truth be told, there are no conclusive studies that give any reliable evidence to suggest that calories are burned more efficiently at certain times of the day. But this doesn’t mean training at a particular time in the day cannot influence how fast you reach your goals and how you feel while training.
Losing Weight
If you want to lose weight, working out in the morning can be your best bet. A study found that when people ran on a treadmill in a fasted state, they burned 20 percent more fat compared to those who had eaten breakfast.
“Research does support that you’ll burn more fat when you run in the fasted state than when your body does not have circulating nutrients to use for energy,” says Dr. Trentacosta M.D., of Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles.
Your energy stores are repleted after a good night’s sleep and you’ve ample fuel to burn. We recommend doing a fasted HIIT (high-intensity interval training) session for 15 minutes if your goal is to shed the extra kilos.
Building Muscle
Research has found muscular function and strength peak in the evening hours, enabling you to work out longer than you would otherwise at another time of the day which arguably makes it the best time to exercise for building muscle. Another perk of training in the evening is that you’ve had most of your meals which provides your muscles with ample macro and micronutrients for the best results.
The optimal time for training in the evening is between 2-6 p.m. If you train too close to your bedtime, you might face trouble falling asleep – especially if you use stimulated pre-workouts. As the day passes, your hand-eye coordination also improves.
With the elevated coordination and higher strength, you’ll rip through your workouts. If you’re into yoga or have stiff muscles and need to work on them, you should schedule your workouts for early evenings as you’re up to 20% more flexible then as during other times of the day.
The Best Time For You
Honestly, you don’t have to be an expert on circadian rhythms to determine the best time to exercise. You should try training at different times of the day and see what suits you the best. Train in the morning for a few weeks, then try noon, then early evening, and settle with the time that works the best for you.
Most importantly, find a time that helps you make your exercise a regular, consistent part of your life. This is more important than the time of day. You shouldn’t feel like hitting the gym is a chore. Once you start dreading working out, it is the beginning of the end.
