If you are a health enthusiast, then getting the workout done a couple of times each week is ideal for optimal health. However, which is the best time to work out? A few individuals love starting their day with an enriching morning workout, while others choose to work in the nighttime. You would find conflicting details on which is the right time; however, does it really matter to choose the right time to work out?
Regardless of choosing the right time to work out, engaging in physical activities on a regular basis can help boost heart health, make you strong, maximize energy, and increase endurance.
Research has even revealed that working out at a specific time can impact workout outcomes in varied ways. Let us examine what the studies show about the right time to work out for enhanced energy and outcomes.
Strategically, various professionals love their morning workout regime. Initially, you can get the workout done and get over with it before heading out for the day. It shows that you would kickstart your day with a boost of endorphins and get a feel-good factor on understanding your accomplishments of things right before 9 am. This works at boosting your ego!
Moreover, you need not worry about working out later down in the afternoon or the evening. It comes as a sigh of relief that leaves you with time to cook your dinner, socialize with friends, or just unwinding yourself.
Research supports the real facts of working out during the morning hours. A recent study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise analyzed the way women responded to food post working out as the initial morning routine.
The ideal way to establish a new habit is to combine it with the previous one. This tactic is generally considered habit stacking, which drives you to locate the right patterns in your existing routine. Several longstanding regular routines, such as brushing your teeth, generally happen in the morning. Therefore, if you face issues with making exercise a regular habit, morning workouts help.
A significant review uncovered the right exercise timing. Researchers discovered that working out at the same time every morning increases one’s ability to follow the right exercise routine. This might boost one’s overall physical activity. Therefore, selecting morning workouts may help one become highly active and consistent.
If your fitness goals revolve around weight loss, then morning workouts are worth considering. A study noted a strong connection between weight loss and exercise timing. The study explored the exercise habits of inactive adults for about 10 months. People working out before noon lost significant weight compared to those working out after 3 p.m. These early movers were active throughout the day and often ate less.
Similar results were found in recent studies. The researchers compared morning, afternoon, and evening exercises. They discovered that working out between 7 and 9 a.m. has been linked to a lower body mass index.
Morning workouts help you stay more focused during the day. They have also been found to enhance focus, visual learning, and working memory in seniors. Working memory enables you to retain information while completing cognitive tasks. Recalling a phone number, for instance, requires working memory.
About half of the adults across the United States deal with hypertension or high blood pressure. This elevates the risks of numerous conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases. Luckily, regular exercise routines aid with the effective management or prevention of high blood pressure. The morning exercise routine is specifically effective for the management of blood pressure. In a recent study, researchers explore more about the morning workouts in seniors with bigger bodies or obesity. Working out on the treadmill lasted for half an hour, which resulted in lowering the blood pressure in people over 8 hours each day.
If you get a good night’s sleep, waking up early to work out is easier. Regular workouts have often been connected to optimal sleep quality. A few studies suggest that morning workouts are ideal for sound sleep. Another smaller study discovered that individuals got much better sleep whenever they exercised in the morning instead of the afternoon. They fell asleep rapidly and experienced a good amount of sleep. Another study showed that early workout routines enhanced the quality of sleep in seniors with insomnia.
Although it might appear like the morning is the ideal time to work out, working out in the afternoon or after hours has its own set of benefits. Planning for an evening workout might indicate getting some extra sleep time in the morning. However, there are numerous other benefits associated with it.
Studies have discovered that the body’s ability to perform its peak performance during the afternoon is remarkable. The body’s temperature increases throughout the day, optimizing the functionality and strength of the muscles, the activity of the enzymes, and better strength performance.
Studies on the right timing and performance of workouts vary. However, constant studies have noted that afternoon or evening exercise enhances overall athletic performance. The study examined how the time of day influences high-intensity exercise performances. The outcomes show peak performances between 4 and 8 p.m.
Studies have found a connection between the timing of the workouts and reduced blood sugar levels. However, recent studies found that working out in the afternoon is ideal for the effective management of blood sugar. Afternoon workouts prove more effective compared to the morning routines for men who are prone to Type 2 Diabetes. The afternoon workouts had significantly lowered their fasting blood sugar with the enhanced sensitivity to insulin. Similar findings had been found in the earlier studies. Significantly, the researchers discovered that morning exercises are responsible for elevated blood sugar levels in men who have Type 2 diabetes.
Workouts increase heart rate and overall body temperature. However, your body temperature and heart rate reduce while you prepare to sleep. Therefore, earlier, professionals suggested avoiding exercise right before heading to bed. However, the latest research suggests that workouts in the evening never disrupt the quality of sleep. Exercise in the evening helps you sleep faster and gain a complete rest. Ensure that you wrap up the workout at least 90 minutes before your bedtime.