Morning, evening or night: when is exercise most effective?

Morning, evening or night: when is exercise most effective?

How to choose the right type of exercise and determine the most comfortable time interval for training.

Before everyone who wants to maximize the effect of training, sooner or later the question arises when it is better to train. The answer depends on a large number of factors: daily routine, diet, habits and many others. We tried to find out what you need to pay attention to in order to plan the best time to exercise.

What does training time depend on?

First of all, it is worth saying here about such a concept as circadian rhythms. These are the internal states of our body, which are transformed during the day. For example, body temperature is known to vary from 36°C in the morning to 37°C at night. In addition, the level of cortisol in the blood also varies. This is a hormone that mobilizes the body’s forces in case of stress or heavy exertion. On the contrary, it decreases in the evening.

These and many other indicators, such as fluctuations in blood pressure, pulse, heart rate, affect our efficiency at different times of the day, and according to circadian rhythms people are divided into “owls” and “larks”.

I should exercise in the mornings when:

• I work until late in the evening and am very tired. By exercising in the morning, you can make sure that no work, family or fatigue will interfere with your workout.
• I don’t get enough sleep. For a good night’s sleep, you should eliminate physical activity at least 2 hours before you go to bed.
• Upon waking up, I feel wrecked. Exercise is a great way to perk up.
• I get up early and go to bed early. Morning workouts are great for “larks.” This is when your body prepares itself for the exertion.

I should work out in the afternoon when:

• I work in an office. A whole day in a sitting position is obviously not good for your body. It’s okay to take a sports break in the middle of the day.

• In the morning I find it difficult to wake up earlier, and in the evening I don’t have enough energy. Then a workout like this is ideal. Of course, if your work schedule allows it.

• I want to increase my strength and gain muscle mass. It is believed that the increase in body temperature in the afternoon is conducive to training for exactly these purposes.

Dôležité: You should not work out right after lunch, give your stomach at least a couple hours to digest your food.

I should work out in the evening when:

• I feel a rush of energy after a day of work. Often in the bodies of “owls” everything works the other way around. For example, body temperature decreases in the evening, which increases performance.
• I want to relax. Evenings are great for yoga, light aerobics and stretching.
• I want to develop flexibility. The time from 4 pm is considered the most suitable for such workouts. During these hours your endurance is great and your muscles are better warmed up.

But you should not forget about the possibility of training at night. Especially, more and more fitness clubs are switching to 24-hour operation.

I should work out at night when:

• I prefer speed and strength training. Such loads are considered to “work for you” in the afternoon and until midnight.
• I am a total “owl”, sleeping until lunchtime and activating at night. Doctors, trainers and professional athletes do not see anything wrong with night training, which means you can exercise when you feel comfortable.
• My sex drive increases at night. They say that this is the surest way to track the release of testosterone, which is responsible not only for libido, but also for physical activity.

And in order for you to try classes at different times of the day and decide for yourself what suits you better, fitness clubs dare to experiment. For example, Crocus Fitness held “Fitness Night” for those who like to train at late hours of the day, where from 14:00 till midnight you could try yourself in yoga, Pilates, aerobics, salsa, crossfit and even Thai boxing, as well as determine at what time you feel most comfortable to train.