There is a lot of debate concerning “which is the best time to workout – morning or evening?’. Well, both times have their advantages and disadvantages. Depending upon your goals and availability, you need to decide for yourself, which time suits you and your goals better. In short, the best time to work out is WHENEVER YOU CAN!
Let’s see what advantages and drawbacks morning and evening workouts offer us. It will help you decide your workout routine or you can hire fitness app developers to do it for you.
Morning Workouts
Pros
There is massive evidence about the benefits of morning workout routines. The most important benefit is consistency. If you work out first thing after waking up there is no room left for excuses like “My responsibilities piled up and I didn’t get time.” research supports that a morning workout has a better effect on deep sleep than evening exercise and it sets the circadian rhythm in such a way that you automatically feel more tired in the evening and alert in the morning. Muscle growth also increases if the circadian rhythm is improved. Exercising on an empty stomach burns more fat. Workouts release endorphins which make your mood better for the rest of the day. The productiveness of the work day also increases by starting the day by working out.
Cons
If you had a small dinner or didn’t eat at night, you might be running on low energy and working out in such a state makes you hungrier and the exercise itself is no fun. If you are habitual of sleeping late, early workouts might put a dent in your deep sleep causing fatigue. To change your circadian rhythm you should proceed carefully. Body temperature is lower in the morning and warming up takes more time. If you jump into an aggressive workout without slowly easing in, the chances of injuring yourself are higher.
Evening Workout
Pros
Research has proved that muscle strength and flexibility are greater in the evening. Also, it takes twenty percent longer to get tired in the evening. Hence, efficiency is improved in the evening. The body temperature is higher and there are fewer chances of injury even without a warm-up (you should still warm up though. It is always safe). Exercising after a stressful and busy day helps in relieving some of that stress and makes you feel calm. Working out in the evening when it is the peak time for watching TV or scrolling through your social media is a good thing. It helps you replace your bad addictive habits with healthy ones.
Cons
The consistency of afternoon or evening workouts is difficult to maintain due to the busy routines. There are more chances of missing the workout due to one duty or another. Although, light exercises and yoga help in inducing peaceful sleep but aggressive exercises like HIIT or CrossFit can interfere with your sleep cycle. The tiredness of the whole day also makes it difficult to feel motivated for an evening workout. After a long day, all everyone needs is a bed and a cup of hot tea!
