MORNING VS. NIGHT WORKOUT?
There have been lots of studies conducted on whether exercising in the morning or at night is more beneficial for our health, however it’s been found there are lots of positive both!
MORNING TRAINING:
1. Enhances your metabolism for the rest of the day
This basically means your body will burn more calories after you work out for the rest of the day! With this though, it’s important to be eating enough during the day to make sure you’re replenishing your body and giving it enough fuel to meet your higher metabolic needs.
2. It may help create consistency
Exercising in the morning ensures your workout won’t be interrupted by other daily commitments. If you just get it done before everything else in your day, it doesn't only mean you won’t have to worry about it for the rest of the day but also keeps the rest of your day free from interruption.
3. It improves your physical and mental energy
Not only does exercising in the morning boost your metabolic rate, it also increases your physical and mental energy for the rest of the day (improving things such as focus and mental abilities). Some research has even found a workout in the morning does a better job of ‘waking you up’ than a cup of coffee!
4. Early morning workouts can help you develop stronger self-discipline
5. You will probably sleep better that night
6. Prepares your nervous system for the rest of the day
NIGHT TRAINING:
1. You may work harder
Your body will have had the whole day to wake up and get ready to train, meaning you will more than likely be more alert and ready to go when training in the evenings.
2. You’ll sleep better
Research has found people that went to bed 90 + minutes after exercise fell asleep more quickly and reported sleeping more deeply than normal.
3. You can destress after a long day
4. You have calmer morning
5. Your body may be more effective at working out at night
Your ‘body clock’ or ‘circadian rhythm’ shows your body has its greatest coordination, fastest reaction time and greatest cardiovascular activity in the afternoon. You are also more flexible at this time which may mean you’ll be able to work harder and create more gain than you would in the morning.
So basically, both working out at night and in the morning have lots of benefits so the time you want to work out comes down to you and your lifestyle. If you prefer to get up early and get your workout done, then you will probably be more motivated in the mornings (so why try change that?). It’s important that you enjoy your workouts so forcing yourself to go in the morning/evening when you’re not motivated, just because of the benefits, may not always be the best decision.
When do the I prefer to workout:
I think it completely depends on what I’m doing that day. If I know I have a lot of on that day or something important, I will probably workout in the morning, just so it’s done and I don't have to worry about it for the rest of the day. If I’m really tired though and I feel like I need a bit more sleep, I’ll get my workout done in the evening or even at lunchtime.
If I have no other plans for the day though, like on holidays or weekends, I would choose the morning to train as I love the way I feel for the rest of the day following.