Morning vs Evening, which is the best time of the day to do workout?

Morning workouts vs. evening workouts -- which helps you get the most out of your exercise? Is a dawn around the neighborhood helpful in jump-starting you body to take on the day? Or is it better to exhaust yourself at the end of the day with an hour of cardio before calling it a day? Some would say there is no difference, as you would have your daily dose of physical activity anyway. We take a look at the differences between morning and evening workouts and what you stand to get out of each.

WHAT YOU GET FROM DOING MORNING EXERCISES:

Your bodily functions are at its lowest when you have just woken up, as sleep puts your body in a rested state. However, working our in the morning not only helps to kick start your body for the day, it also helps you to end the day better as well, by providing better quality of sleep.

PROS OF MORNING WORKOUTS:

THE CHALLENGES OF MORNING WORKOUTS

             • Exercising before having breakfast could put you at risk of an earlier burn out and fatigue. At the time of waking, your body is technically running on an empty tank after hours of sleep with no food or water intake.

EXERCISING AT NIGHT 

Studies show that exercising later in the day is much more beneficial than working out in the morning, as your bodily functions are at their best at this time --  so you'll have more energy and more strength for am optimal workout. However, many find it harder to exercise after a long day at work.

                Here's what happens when you work out later in the day: 

PROS OF WORKING OUT AT NIGHT

            • Your body temperature is highest in the evening Muscles and joints are up to 20% more flexible this time compared to in the morning, which makes it easier and less of a strain to exercise. Chances of injuries during exercise is also lower than morning workouts.

              • you'll likely have more energy to exercise in the second half of the day, compared to the first thing in the morning. Not only that, your metabolism and lung functions are also working best in the late afternoon/evening, so you would have more strength and endurance to last through your cardio workout session.

             • Exercising in the evening gives you an outlet of  stress release from the day's work.

THE CHALLENGES OF WORKING OUT AT NIGHT

              • It is easier to call off an evening exercise session  by using work or tiredness as an excuse.

At the end of the day, there are undeniable advantages for working out in the morning or evening. Which you choose depends on your choice, lifestyle and time management. Be flexible with your workout routine and remember that every effort counts!