How to Do Something Your Don Know: How to Determine the Best Time to Exercise

Any time of the day you can commit to exercising is a good time for getting active. The best time for exercise is different for each person. Consider your lifestyle and exercise goals to help find the right time for you.

EditSteps

EditConsidering Lifestyle Factors

Determine when you have the most energy. Do you struggle to get out of the bed in the morning or do you wake up energized and ready to go? Are you a night owl and never get to bed before midnight?^[1] Once you establish what your sleep tendencies are, you will have a better idea of when your body is most inclined to exercise.
- If you are not a morning person, do not schedule an early morning workout. You are more likely to hit the snooze button instead of getting a workout in.
- Sacrificing sleep to get a workout in can result in poorer performance and make it difficult to develop a consistent routine.
Consider your daily schedule. When are you the busiest? When do you tend to schedule your most important tasks? Try to fit in your exercise before or at least around these events if possible. Some people would prefer to get it out of the way first thing, while others prefer to put it off until the end of the day when they are all caught up.
- If you tend to have a lot of activities after work, you may want to exercise in the morning.
- If your mornings are hectic and you have trouble making it out of the door on time, an evening workout may be best.
- An afternoon workout may be good if you have time on your lunch break and do not want to sacrifice your evening or morning time.
Determine your exercise goals. Are you trying to lose weight? Are you trying to improve your performance? Are trying to develop a consistent exercise routine? ^[2]
- If you are trying to develop a routine, you may want to exercise in the morning. People who exercise in the morning are more consistent. You may not feel like exercising after a long day of work, errands, or being out on the town.^[3]
- If you are trying to improve your performance, afternoon or evening exercise may be best. You may experience less fatigue, quicker reaction times, and more strength and flexibility in the evening.^[4]^[5]
- If you are trying to lose weight, you may want to exercise in the morning before you have eaten. When you exercise in a fasted state, your body is more likely to use fat instead of carbohydrates for energy.^[6]
Factor in the location of your exercise routine. Your house provides the most flexible time options if you own fitness equipment, but if you have a gym down the street or along the route home from work, that will make it more convenient to squeeze in a workout.
- If you have an onsite gym at your job or school, afternoon and evening workouts may be most convenient for you.
- Fitness DVDs and videos are other convenient at-home options.
Experiment with both morning and evening workouts. Start by working out at different times of the day to see how you feel and find the time that works best with your schedule. Keep an exercise log to help you evaluate each time. Ask yourself some questions such as:.
- How did I feel?
- Did I have trouble falling asleep?
- Am I tired throughout the day?
- Do I perform better in the morning or at night?
- Do I feel more energized? Am I sluggish?

EditExercising in the Morning

Weigh the pros and cons. Morning workouts are associated with lower blood pressure, better quality sleep,^[7] higher energy levels throughout the day, and increased mental alertness; however, you will have to wake up earlier than usual and may have low energy if you do not eat before you work out.^[8]
- If you plan to exercise at a gym, there will be fewer people in the gym if you go in the morning.^[9]
- People who exercise in the morning also tend to follow the workout with a healthy breakfast and plenty of water. This could set you up for a great start to the day.^[10]
Sleep in your exercise clothes. Workout clothes are usually comfortable. Sleeping in them can motivate you to exercise as soon as you wake up. If you do not want to sleep in your clothes, have your outfit laid out so you can roll out of bed and get dressed.
- If you are exercising at a gym and plan to get dressed there, pack your gym bag the night before so you can just grab your bag and head out the door.
Adjust your sleep schedule. Try waking up 30 to 60 minutes earlier than usual to fit in a workout. You may need to go to sleep a little earlier to accommodate your new wake up time. If you are exercising at a gym, consider your travel time to your gym as well.
- Allow an extra five or 10 minutes for your warm up.^[11] Your body temperature is lower in the morning. If you do not warm up your body, you are more likely to get injured.^[12]
- If you typically do not eat in the morning, add in some extra time for breakfast. Your body needs food to recover from exercise.

EditExercising in the Evening

Understand the pros and cons. If you are focusing on increasing muscle strength and muscle size, an evening workout may be best.^[13]^[14] You have eaten throughout the day so your body has plenty of fuel and your muscles are warm.^[15] On the other hand, evening workouts can be easy to brush off. If you have a lot of evening commitments or are usually fatigued at the end of the day, it will be hard to find time the time or energy to exercise.^[16]
- You are less likely to get injured during evening exercise because your muscles and joints have been working all day.^[17]
- If you plan to exercise at a gym or outside, know what time your gym closes and how much daylight you will have in the evening.
Pay attention to how well you sleep. Evening exercise helps some people fall asleep while it gives others an energy boost. Evening strength training in particular may help you fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.^[18] On the other hand, high-intensity training may cause you to be more alert and have trouble falling asleep.
- If you find that you have trouble going to sleep at night, yoga or stretching exercises can help you relax.^[19]
- You may save your evening workouts for low-intensity exercises (i.e. walking, yoga, stretching) and do more high-intensity workouts (i.e. running, cycling, interval training) in the morning.
Adjust your meal time. It takes your body two to three hours to digest a meal and absorb nutrients. Eat a snack before your workout and have dinner when you are finished. If you want to eat dinner first, eat earlier than you typically would.^[20]
- Foods such as white rice, pasta, bread, and potatoes encourage sleep. Eat them at least one hour before you plan to go to bed. If you plan to go to bed at 11:00 pm, you need to eat before 10:00 pm. ^[21]
- Eating turkey and/or pumpkin seeds can also help you sleep.
Do not sacrifice sleep. Try to finish your workout about two hours before it is time for you to go to bed. This will give your body time for you to wind down. For example, if you plan to go to bed at 11:00 pm, be finished working out by 9:00 pm.
- Your melatonin (i.e. hormone that makes you sleepy) levels peak around 10:00 pm. Your workout performance and form may suffer if you are tired and exercising this late.^[22]^[23]
- Sleep is just as important as exercise and helps your body recover after exercise.^[24]