You've finally decided it's time to go to the gym or lay out the mat at home, but then the question arises - in the morning or in the evening? Maybe you want to create a schedule for yourself to get the maximum benefit? If so, here's information from restless researchers to help you decide whether morning exercise or evening exercise is best for you.
Benefits of exercising in the morning
Study
Research has shown that exercising in the morning is best for lowering blood pressure and improving sleep.
Dr Scott Collier from Appalachian State University, USA, looked at the effect of exercise on blood pressure. Together with researchers Kimberly Fairbrother and Ben Cartner, he tracked the blood pressure levels and sleep patterns of a group of people aged 40-60. These people received moderate exercise three times a week for 30 minutes. They were carried out at different times during the day: 7 am, 1 pm and 7 pm.
Result
All participants who exercised in the morning showed a decrease blood pressure by 10%. This reduction in blood pressure levels continued throughout the day. At night, these people slept longer, had better sleep cycles, and ultimately experienced a 25% drop in blood pressure.
Dr. Scott Collier reported:
“Much to our surprise, exercising at 7 a.m. was better for lowering blood pressure throughout the day and benefiting sleep better than exercising at 7 p.m., and there was little benefit for sleep and blood pressure when exercising at 1 p.m.” .
"We don't yet know the physiological mechanisms that lead to these changes, but we know enough to say that if you need to reduce your blood pressure and if you need to improve your sleep, then 7 a.m. is probably the best time to exercise." 
So if you're at risk for heart disease or suffer from high blood pressure or insomnia, working out in the morning may be better for you. However, there are various benefits that you can get from exercising in the evening.
Benefits of exercising in the evening
Study
A study conducted at the University of Chicago Clinical Research Center found that people who exercise after work achieve more high level physical training what people do in the morning.
The study involved 40 healthy men aged 20-30. The men were divided into five groups. Four teams received intensive physical training morning, afternoon or evening. The fifth group did nothing at all. The researchers obtained blood samples from each of the participants to determine the levels of two endocrine hormones: cortisol and thyroid-stimulating hormone. 
Result
It was found that both of these hormones increased the most in those people who exercised either late in the evening or at night. Additionally, the same group of people experienced a drop in their glucose levels.
Dr Orfeu Buxton, who led the study, said: "These are signs that your metabolism is adapting well to regular exercise. physical exercise and suggests that it might be better to go to the gym after work rather than in the morning.” 
As a result
John Trower, trainer athletics at the UK's University of Central Lancashire, said that top athletes tend to spend technical training in the morning and an intense workout between 4 and 6 p.m.
“Although not everyone is happy with it. Some of them have more energy in the morning than in the evening. It's a personal choice."
So if you're trying to figure out when to fit exercise into your busy work schedule, take a look at your goals. If you want to improve your heart health and sleep, this is the morning. If you want to tone up, get stronger, and reduce your risk of diabetes, an evening exercise routine is your best option.
Before every person who wants help physical activity not only improve health, but also lose overweight, the question inevitably arises as to what time is best to do this and whether you should eat before and after training. Our material contains the conclusions of the latest scientific research
The majority are in favor of “shooting off” early, even before work, and in the evening to do household chores or relax, and not rush headlong into gym or to the stadium. However, the desire to work out early in the morning is challenged by a much stronger desire to sleep an extra half hour or hour. It most often wins, which is why most athletes still train in the evenings.
This especially applies to residents major cities with their constantly accelerating pace of life, forcing them to save every minute, and their ever-increasing workloads.
However, Peter Hespel, professor of Research sports center at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, as befits a real scientist, he decided to test this statement and conducted an interesting experiment.
Peter Hespel invited 28 young and healthy men under 21 years of age to participate in his study. All of them had to switch to a high-calorie diet proposed by scientists for six weeks. Everyone was fed the same. All volunteers daily norm in calories increased by 30%. At the same time, they ate 50% more fat than in everyday life before participating in the experiment.
Study participants were divided into three groups. Those who were in the first group were allowed to forget about training and going to the gym for the duration of the experiment. The remaining two groups trained. Moreover, volunteers from the second group went out for training first thing in the morning, as soon as they woke up, and the third group did it after a breakfast rich in carbohydrates. Those who exercised on an empty stomach ate exactly the same breakfast, but only after training. The training in both groups was absolutely identical in duration and load.
A month and a half later, scientists summed up the results. As you might guess, those who only ate and did not exercise gained weight, on average approx. 2 kg each. Those who exercised after breakfast also gained weight, but significantly less - a little more than 1 kg.
Weight did not change only among those participants in the experiment who trained on an empty stomach, before breakfast. It turned out that their bodies burned more calories throughout the day. In addition, they had better insulin levels.
Of course, it is premature to draw far-reaching conclusions based on this study alone. It was short-term in nature and too few volunteers participated in it, who were also of the same gender and age. It is also noteworthy that those who trained on an empty stomach did not lose weight, but only managed to maintain the same weight.
Yet the Belgian study may have provided some food for thought for the first time on the question of when is it best to exercise: in the morning or in the evening, when fed or on an empty stomach?
Professor Peter Hespel is confident that he has answered this question.
“The optimal strategy for preventing weight gain,” he says, “should be a combination of a healthy, well-balanced diet and a physically active lifestyle. At the same time, play sports better in the morning and on an empty stomach."
On the one hand, training at an earlier time will help you burn calories effectively, and on the other hand, it will set the body’s operating mode for maximum fat burning for the entire coming day.
Professor Hespel clearly explains the main reason that helps to lose the most intensively during morning training. extra pounds or at least protect the body from their recruitment. To get energy for exercise, the body has to go into the pantries where it stores fats for emergencies like this. The difference from the exact same process of burning fat and calories at other times of the day and especially in the evening is that the body treats this “NZ” very carefully. First of all, it always burns what it received after the last meal, i.e. breakfast, lunch or dinner.
A study conducted in America also helps answer the question of why training time is so important.
Two groups of men ran on a treadmill until they burned 400 calories, the equivalent of a small snack such as 3-4 pieces of toast.
At the same time, those who were part of the first group ran on an empty stomach, and volunteers from the second group were given a bowl of oatmeal with an energy value of 400 calories an hour before training.
Runners in both groups burned fat. Their body received a setting for accelerated fat burning even after training. But results on both measures were higher among those who skipped a pre-workout meal. In other words, exercising after a long break from eating can set the body up to burn fat longer and more intensely.
There is another advantage to morning classes sports, which also helps to lose extra pounds more intensively. This is daylight.
One recent study found that people who were exposed to bright sunlight within two hours of waking up were slimmer and lost weight more easily than those who did not receive natural light, regardless of what or how much they ate.
When choosing between the desire to lose weight and sleep an extra hour early in the morning, you should also keep in mind that fans of early workouts have even created something like a proverb: “He who gets up early lives slim!”
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Genus. 1984 Trained since 1999 Trained since 2007. CMS in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and South Russia according to AWPC. Champion Krasnodar region according to IPF. 1st category weightlifting. 2-time winner of the Krasnodar Territory championship in t/a. Author of more than 700 articles on fitness and amateur athletics. Author and co-author of 5 books.
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Date: 2014-08-15 Views: 32 017 Grade: 5.0
This question is asked quite often, both to me personally and on the Internet in general. This is understandable. Indeed, for many people, the importance of time of day for training is greatly exaggerated. This is due to the fact that many trainers quite categorically outline intervals of 2–3 hours when they need to train. And the rest of the time, like, training will be down the drain. Let's see if this is true.
Of course, day and night are the same for everyone. The sun rises and sets at the same time for everyone. But the biorhythms of each individual person are individual. I think you’ve already heard about “owls” and “larks” without me. Based on this fact alone, it is impossible to strictly outline any identical framework for everyone.
But there are also fluctuations in activity during the day. At some times there is less activity, and at others there is more activity. And this activity largely depends on what time a person goes to bed and gets up. Yes, that's true. I agree. But, firstly, it is impossible to accurately calculate the time of this activity, since it also depends on other factors and constantly fluctuates. Secondly, few people have the opportunity to adjust their workouts to peak activity levels. Because in addition to training, there is also work, family and many other important and urgent matters.
Yes, by the way, these peaks of activity themselves do not just appear at one particular time or another. You yourself, through your daily routine, accustom your body to one or another chrono-biological cycle. Why am I saying all this?
Besides, if you constantly train at the same time, your body will adapt to you over time. And the peaks of your activity, after a few months, will coincide with the time of training. But, I repeat once again, for this to happen, you need to constantly train at approximately the same time (+ - 1 hour) for at least 2 months.
The second important note: you should not exercise within the first hour after waking up. No matter how hard you try, peak activity may not occur immediately after you wake up. At least 1 hour must pass for all body functions to fully begin to work. Or better yet, 1.30 -2 hours. Of course, everything here is also individual. But at least 1 hour must pass from waking up to starting the workout.
And third: you need to finish your workout no later than 2 hours before bedtime. The body needs time to adjust to a calm mood. But he won’t be able to do this in 10 minutes. Yes, no matter how late you train. You can, of course, exercise just before bed. But you still won’t fall asleep before 1.30 – 2 hours.
1. Always train at the same time.
2. There should be at least 1 hour between waking up and starting your workout.
3. There should be at least 2 hours between the end of your workout and bedtime.
4. Everything else is at your discretion and does not matter much.
By the way, you can order yourself from Timko Ilya - the author of this article and this site.
It has long been known that The functioning of the human body directly depends on the time of day– during some hours he works as productively as possible (at this time you can spend the most best workouts for losing weight and gaining muscle mass), in others it is almost completely turned off (this is not a time for fitness, but a time for sleep and rest).
Having a good understanding of this topic, you can plan your day wisely and choose the most suitable for sports optimal time . With this approach, you will only conduct truly effective training.
What time can you do the most effective workouts: morning
- 5-00 - The kidneys stop excreting urine. Waking up at this time, a person feels energetic all day, and can conduct effective strength training for weight loss (this rule applies to both girls and men)
- 6-00 - pressure rises, heart starts beating faster
- 7-00 - the body's immunity is significantly enhanced
- 8-00 - toxic substances are almost completely dehydrated in the liver
- 9-00 - the heart begins to work better, sensitivity to pain decreases
What time of day can you do the most effective workouts: evening
- 17-00 - the body’s performance increases, endurance increases significantly. Great time for fitness and heavy strength training
- 18-00 - functioning slows down nervous system, pain sensitivity threshold increases
- 19-00 - blood pressure rises, irritability and short temper appear. At this time, not the best (in terms of effectiveness) workouts come out.
- 20-00 - maximum daily body weight is observed, reaction improves
- 21-00 - the ability to remember information improves, the functioning of the nervous system returns to normal. This time is more suitable for learning than for fitness.
Late evening is the best time for training aimed at relaxing the body. Best program workouts for the evening - yoga, stretching, breathing exercises
Choosing a time for fitness: night
22-00 - the level of leukocytes in the blood increases, body temperature decreases
- 23-00 - the body is actively preparing for sleep. At this time, it will not be possible to conduct the most effective and efficient training.
- 24-00 - end of the day. At this time you need to sleep, and not do home workouts for weight loss.
- 1-00 - sensitivity to pain increases significantly. Shallow sleep
- 2-00 - internal organs slow down work
- 3-00 - the body rests, pulse and breathing slow down
- 4-00 – hearing becomes more acute, blood pressure drops very much.
- Night is not the time for sports. Effective program workouts for weight loss should be carried out during the day or evening.
But don’t get hung up on the time of day – this is just an additional advantage that allows you to conduct more effective training. If you cannot pay attention to training at the specified time, then play sports in any free minute.The most important thing in any training is regularity.. Train correctly, don't miss classes, and you will succeed. The doctor promises!
The topic of healthy lifestyle has not lost popularity for several years and proper nutrition. Some want to improve their health, others want to build beautiful body, still others - and this is the largest group - want to lose weight. One of the problems for them is the difficulty of finding the right time to play sports.
Time is only one of the factors influencing the effectiveness of training. Its intensity, duration, and the set of exercises you perform are also important.
But still, let’s try to figure out what the benefits of exercising at different times of the day are for the body of a person who wants to lose weight.
When is the best time to train: table
It is difficult to give an exact answer to the question: when is the best time to play sports? Firstly, under the word sport different people completely imply different types activities. Running, gym classes, dancing, swimming pool, aerobics, race walking etc. Secondly, all people are different. With different daily routines, preferences for different activities, individual characteristics. The recommendations presented below are advisory in nature, because in any case you need to focus on your own body.
| Pros | Cons | |
| Morning |
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| Day |
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| Evening |
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Morning workout: features.
Some people decide to start with regular exercises at home and also face the question: when is the best time to do exercises? Morning is the best time. No special charger required for charging sports equipment, only own body. You will wake up, get the blood flowing throughout your body, and recharge your batteries for the whole day.
Many people say: “ To lose weight, you need to exercise in the morning" This is both true and false.
Indeed, if you didn’t eat anything before your morning workout, your blood sugar levels are low. In this case, the body turns to fat reserves and receives energy from fat cells. However, without breakfast you have too little energy for an intense workout. And instead of fat cells, the body uses muscles as “fuel”. As a result, it will decrease muscle mass, and the amount of body fat will remain the same.
Let's continue talking about muscles. After sleep, they are poorly stretched, so special attention should be paid to warming up. 15-20 minutes will help warm them up and reduce the possibility of injury. In addition, the level of blood circulation will increase and the body will wake up.
For some, a morning workout becomes a source of energy for the whole day. Other positive effects of morning exercise include accelerated exchange substances during the day. Some people note that it is easier for them to control their appetite during the day if they devote 1 hour of their life to physical activity in the morning.
Sometimes the choice of time of day for classes is approached solely from a rational position. So, in the morning there are few people in the gym, which means there is no need to waste time standing in line. Secondly, morning exercises easier to add to your daily routine. Urgent matters that arise during the day will not interfere with your training. Thirdly, in the summer the mornings are cool. At this temperature it is comfortable to exercise.
Who is suitable for exercising in the morning?
- For those who work all day. It’s easiest to find an hour of free time in the morning, and you can spend the evening with family or friends.
- For beginners, it’s easier to convince yourself to work out in the morning and then spend the whole day feeling accomplished. After an eventful day, it is more difficult to force yourself to go to the gym or do any other type of activity.
Who better to choose another time?
- For those who like to soak in bed in the morning or sleep an extra 0.5-1 hour.
- For those who start working or studying early in the morning and whose journey takes 1 hour or more. In this mode it is more difficult to find an extra hour. In addition, not all fitness clubs start opening so early.
Daytime training: features.
During the day he goes in for sports more people than in the morning. Firstly, some people only wake up around noon. Secondly, during the day it is easier to allocate time for full workout. Thirdly, this is the optimal time for “night owls” and “larks” at the same time. Fourthly, the middle of the day is the time when a person has the highest productivity, which means the training will be effective.
Who is the day workout suitable for?
- For those who don't work. You can have a good night's sleep and then in full force do fitness.
- For those who have a lunch break longer than 1 hour, and near work there is a fitness club or other area for sports.
- For those who are released early from work or school.
If non-working citizens usually have no problems finding time, then working or students the question arises: is it necessary to have time to study during the lunch break or is it better to leave classes for free time after work? Let's take a closer look at this issue so that you can choose the option that is convenient for you.
When is the best time to exercise: during your lunch break or after work?
Sports during your lunch break allows you to exercise together with other colleagues who are losing weight. This increases motivation. You are less likely to give up your next workout. Also, training takes up a significant part of the lunch break. This means you won’t have time for a hearty lunch and tea with pastries, sweets or cakes. Therefore, you will lose weight faster. After all, admit honestly that free time in organizations is often spent on tea with sweets and extra snacks, which will not help with weight loss at all. Lunchtime fitness will also help you take your mind off work for a while, especially if it involves mental work.
But there are also disadvantages that you need to remember. Firstly, while playing sports, you can forget that your lunch break is limited and be late for work. Secondly, if there is too little free time, it is difficult to conduct intensive, effective training. Thirdly, urgent matters may arise at work. And along with the lunch break, you will have to give up training.
Those who are released from work early prefer to go in for sports immediately after work. This great option, since sport helps relieve stress and tension accumulated during the working day.
Since the time after work smoothly flows into the evening and the line between these parts of the day is different for everyone, we will take a closer look at the pros and cons of playing sports after work in the next part of the article.
Evening training: features.
Evening training with our rhythm of life suits almost everyone. This confirms the overcrowding of gyms and group classes in the evening. Indeed, in the evening it is easiest to allocate free time for sports. There is no need to run anywhere or rush. You can devote all your attention to training. By this time, the whole body is warmed up and active. The injury rate is significantly reduced, although a thorough warm-up should also not be forgotten. In addition, by this time the “owls” have maximum performance. Evening workouts are more effective for them than at any other time of the day.
Separately, for those who want to lose excess weight, it should be noted that in the evening you can burn the calories “eaten” during the day. You can control the intensity of your workout. If you realize that you ate too much today, add an extra 10-15 minutes to your workout. But the most important thing is that the fat burning process will continue even at night for several hours. Especially if you do strength exercises. Thus, you will lose weight not only during 1-1.5 hours of training, but several times longer.
But there are also some disadvantages that force people to postpone training to another time. Firstly, as already mentioned, there are a lot of people in the hall. In the gym there may be queues for the machines. This increases training time and reduces its effectiveness. Secondly, if you exercise too intensely before bed, some people find it difficult to fall asleep later. But this is an individual feature, you need to focus on your body. Some people, on the contrary, fall asleep well after training. And one more periodically encountered feature - increased appetite after training. This means there is a danger of overeating in the evening or at night.
When is the best time to exercise to lose weight?
As you can see, you need to focus exclusively on your body. Although it is banal, it is no less true. Your body will tell you better than anyone else when and what to do. When a charge of vivacity appears, and when there is not enough strength even for basic exercise.
In any case, you will lose weight at any time of the day. The main thing is to constantly be on the move. Exercise regularly, change the type of activity if you don’t like it or suit it. After all, the motivation to do what you don’t like won’t last long.
Tips on how to choose what time of day is best to train:
- If you feel energized after training, it’s better to exercise at this time of day.
- If your job doesn’t allow you to study at the same time, then just study in your free time. The main thing is regularity.
Try experimenting with your workout timing. Carefully monitor your body's reaction.
If possible, exercise 2 times a day: in the morning and in the afternoon. In the morning, choose light cardio loads. For example, race walking or jogging. Pay attention in the evening strength training or other heavier loads. For example, dancing.
In any case, the main thing is to avoid the wrong workouts: without a warm-up, with too much stress for your body, too often, without allowing the body to recover. Otherwise, you only risk worsening your own health.
Do sports for fun, and your body will soon delight you with the extra pounds you've lost.
