What’s the Best Time to Exercise?

No time to exercise? Too busy? Don’t worry, you can exercise anytime with your own ways and gain a lot of benefits.

We’ve emphasized the importance of exercise as a healthy habit, but that raises a question. Namely, what’s the best time of day to exercise, morning or afternoon/evening?

Actually, as researchers at healthline.com point out, you can make a case for either.

Morning workout

The benefits of a morning workout include:

  • You get your workout done before 9 a.m., accomplishing something some people won’t accomplish all day, a huge ego boost. You’ll also start the day with a brain charged with endorphins, chemicals that leave your brain feeling happy and relaxed.
  • You burn more fat. Those who start their exercise routine on an empty stomach burn about 20 percent more body fat than those exercising later in the day.
  • A morning exercise boosts your metabolism which means you’ll be burning calories throughout the day as you consume them.
  • Morning exercise helps many people get more quality sleep at night, while an evening workout that revs up your system might make sleep more difficult.

Afternoon/Evening workout

Benefits include:

  • You can probably get some extra sleep in the morning.
  • Your body temperature peaks between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m, and this elevated temperature optimizes your muscle function and strength, as well as your endurance.
  • Oxygen uptake kinetics are faster in the evening, and that means you use your resources more slowly and effectively than in the morning.
  • In the afternoon or evening, your reaction time is at its quickest, while your heart rate and blood pressure are lowest, all decreasing your chances of injury while improving your performance.

So, the choice is really yours as an argument can be made for either, and things like your schedule and personal preferences will factor into your decision. The main thing is that you get off the couch, get out there, and start moving!

Source: www.livingmagazine.net