Do we do sports in the morning or the evening?

Find out what the pros and cons are

What are the benefits of exercising in the morning? You have energy all-day Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins in the brain. Endorphins do not give a good mood and abundant energy, which means that practicing sports in the morning heralds a successful day from this point of view. When you feel energetic, you focus better on what you have to do, work harder, and have a better mental state. Sport clears your mind and increases your attention and creativity, so morning workouts will increase your productivity at work, but not only.

You lose weight faster Some scientific studies suggest that if you are on a diet, it is better to exercise in the morning because it helps you lose weight faster and subsequently helps you maintain your desired weight.

Sleep better Studies conducted by researchers at Appalachian University in the US revealed an unexpected fact: physical exercise done in the morning, around 7 am, lowers blood pressure and improves sleep during the night.

You are more consistent Practicing sports in the morning helps you to be more consistent and not miss any training, because in the morning you can put it in your schedule as soon as you wake up. On the one hand, for many people, this is the easiest way to keep busy: as soon as you get out of bed, you can start doing exercises on the mat or the wall, pedal the stationary bike, or put to music. and dance, after which you can shower and go about your usual activities. On the other hand, personal issues can put you off evening workouts: after work, you might feel too tired or lack energy, or you’d rather go out than exercise.

What are the disadvantages if you choose to do sports in the morning? You have to get up earlier If you are not a morning person, you should make an effort to wake up 20–25 minutes earlier in the morning to exercise. And if you start work at 8 or 9 o’clock and your job isn’t one you can do at home, it’s clear that you’re waking up very early anyway to have time to get ready for work and drive through traffic. Therefore, if you intend to exercise in the morning, you may end up skipping your workout because you are too sleepy when you set the alarm so early.

Heating takes longer Since the muscles and joints are stiff in the morning, having not been used during the night, it takes longer to warm up in the morning. According to experts, muscles are 20% stiffer in the morning than in the evening.

What advantages do you have if you exercise in the evening? It helps you relax After a hard day at work, some challenging exercises will help you release the accumulated tension and relax. Moreover, studies show that regular sports, especially the more intense forms, are the best way to combat stress. Thus, your mental state will be better, and you will enjoy the hours spent differently after you get home.

It energizes you When you come home from work, you often feel exhausted and don’t have the energy to play with the kids or do household chores. If you exercise in another part of the day, you will then have enough energy to finish everything you did.

You can spend more time doing sports With no time, like in the morning, when you are rushing to get to work, more time can be spent doing sports.

What disadvantages do you have if you exercise in the evening? It can disturb your sleep If you exercise in the evening, right before bed, you may have difficulty falling asleep or restless sleep due to the hormones released during exercise. However, there are also physical activities that calm you down, such as yoga or pilates. We recommend that if you choose to do sports in the evening, do not train very late, but at least two hours between the end of physical activity and bedtime.

You may be tempted to give up sports An invitation to the city, the fatigue accumulated from this event, or anything else can distract you from what you did, so in the evening, there is a good chance that you will pull the trigger on exercising.

And lunchtime sports are good It’s good to know that afternoon workouts are almost as good as morning ones.

If your schedule is such that you can fit a lunchtime workout into your schedule, experts say it’s not a bad option, especially if you have a longer or more rigorous exercise schedule. Some experts believe that while morning sports are ideal for burning fat and losing weight, afternoon workouts can be a plus in terms of performance.

A sport practiced in the afternoon can be a good way to avoid that lack of energy at the end of the day. A study published in the Journal of Physiology, for example, shows that by exercising between 1 pm and 4 pm, we can advance our body’s internal clock in the same way that a very early morning workout resets it. Even a quick walk after lunch—a few tens of minutes of walking—helps you to regain your power of concentration.

Circadian rhythm helps you know when it is better to do sports Your circadian rhythm determines whether you’re a night owl or a morning person, so there’s not much you can do to change it. The circadian rhythm is characterized by the 24-hour pattern of the earth’s rotation, and these rhythms influence many functions, such as blood pressure, body temperature, certain hormone levels, and heart rate, all of which play an important role in how the body is ready to do sports.

It is therefore a good idea to use this circadian rhythm, this internal clock of your body, as a guide to show you when to exercise at home, in the park, or when to go to the gym, depending on your preferences. Of course, when you think about choosing the time of day to do sports, there are other important reasons that you have to take into account, such as time with your family, your schedule at work, or the availability of a friend—if you want, don’t train alone.

You can try working out in the morning for a few weeks, then exercising in the afternoon, and for the following weeks in the evening (but earlier, not before bed, as we discussed). This way, you will understand more clearly at which time of the day it was easiest for you to do sports and at which times you felt the best after exercising. In addition, don’t forget to take into account the type of exercise you’ve been doing as well as other daily tasks or problems.

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