Now that a lot of us are working from home, we have more options as to whether we workout in the morning or in the evening. Just finding time to exercise is a win itself, but I do a double take on that because our mental and physical health should come first, it should be a priority. Therefore, we shouldn’t be finding time for it, we should be making time for it.

Depending on your schedule, you may prefer to workout in the morning or in the evening, but let’s dive into some of the pros and cons and figure out what is the best time to maximize the benefits of exercise!

Morning Birds:

You are stimulating your body with endorphins before you even start your day. Some people love getting a workout checked off in the morning and leaving the rest of their day to do whatever they want. That can be work-related, calling your friends on Zoom or making the famous pasta dish from TikTok (has anyone tried making it by the way?)

A study showed women who exercised in the morning increased their physical activity throughout the day more than those who didn’t workout in the morning. Is this convincing you to be a morning exercise person? Because there is MORE!

You will also increase your metabolism which means more calorie burning throughout the day. Some people find that performing cardiovascular exercises at night (which elevates the heart rate and body temperature significantly) can impede our ability to sleep at the desired time. Some studies have also shown those who workout at 7am got more quality sleep.

Evening Squad:

Evening crew, I love my sleep and you probably love yours too, so why not sleep in and get more shut eye. We talk about sleep a lot here because it’s so important! It’s a time for your body to recover from all the amazing things it does during the day.

In the afternoon, your body temperature increases meaning your body is ready for a killer workout. At this time, you’re optimizing muscle function and strength, enzyme activity and endurance for performance! Between 2pm and 6pm is when your body reaches its highest temperature, which is when you’ll get the most efficient workout.

Your oxygen uptake kinetics and reaction time are also faster in the evening, which means you’re more effective than in the morning. In the late afternoon your heart rate and blood pressure are at its lowest, which can help decrease your chances of injury while improving performance.

So…when is the best time to workout?  

Neither. Workout at a time that works best for you! Whether that’s in the morning or in the evening. Health is wealth, please take care and remember, any exercise is better than no exercise. Get it done, feel like a boss, and repeat.

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