It’s Move It Monday! Are you going to hit the ground running at 6 am or at 6 pm. Many factors may contribute to what time of day you will exercise. The reasons are wide and varied. Are you either too tired in the morning or too tired in the evening? Did you get enough sleep the night before? Or perhaps you work in shifts and your shifts vary during the week. What time do you have to be at work or what time will you leave work? Are you crunched for time in the morning or evening because you have obligations to get your kids to and from school? Also, do the kids have after school activities that prohibit you from working out in the evening? Can you make it to your favorite Zumba class at 9 am or the class offered at 7 pm?
As you can see many factors impact what time of day you will exercise. Understanding your schedule and knowing your limits will be the deciding factor on whether or not you will work out in the morning or evening. Also, be prepared for change as life is not static so you will have to adjust accordingly.
If you do your research you will find that there are many pros and cons to both morning and evening exercise. As an example some reseacrh that suggests that exercising in the morning allows you to burn more fat because you in a fasting state thus you are using your own fat for fuel versus burning calories from the food you’ve eaten all day. Other research suggests those who exercise in the evening lose more weight overall. Some studies suggests that overall sleep is improved when you work out in the morning.
Are you stressed? If you are anticipating a stressful day at work than exercising in the morning may be the mental jolt you need to get you through the day. On the flip side exercising in the evening allows you to release the negative energy built up from a stressful day at work. Perhaps if you are like me exercising in the morning may be your cup of coffee, it can boost your energy.
by Marjorie Binette, MD