When is most optimal to exercise

mom23nuts

I was exercising in the morning getting it out of the way early, to give myself momentum and a good start to all day motivation.

My kids are home on break and knowing summer is around the corner I may have to switch to exercising in the evenings when my husband is around to supervise them.

Is there an advantage to when the most optimal time is to exercise?

I notice when I exercise early I tend to be hungrier throughout the day and barely have a calorie deficit when dinnertime is over.

Maybe switching it up to conserve calories then exercising at night will trick my brain and body and there will be a definite deficit since I will be heading to bed a few hours later. It has worked the past 2 nights as part of my own little experiment.

auddii

Nope. The best time is when you actually have time to go.

Hornsby

Doesn't matter. Whatever you prefer works the best.

kathrynjean_

The best time to exercise is when you have time and can fit it into your schedule. I prefer mornings because the gym is dead

Capt_Apollo

there is no optimal time to exercise, but some will say that exercising early in the morning while you are still in a fasted state will increase a production of leptin hormone which in turn actually makes you LESS hungry... but if you stay in a calorie deficit too long that can get your hormones out of whack... it's a lot of science involved.

but really, exercise when you can and when you have time. if i told you that exercising at 8am was the best time to exercise, would that work for you? what if told you it was 3am??

barboraszabov646

For me the best time to exercise is after work- release stress and feeling tired enough to sleep just like a baby

Willbenchforcupcakes

When you will actually do it.

ElJefeChief

The best time is the time that you can do consistently over time.

RWClary

I enjoy early mornings, so that's optimal for me.

scorpio516

The best time is 30-60 minutes before you eat.
Somehow refueling after running or biking helps with injury prevention. I can't find any studies, just anecdotal evidence though

Abbie918

I prefer mornings, but the best time to go is whenever you can make the time!

howekaren

scorpio516 wrote: »

The best time is 30-60 minutes before you eat.
Somehow refueling after running or biking helps with injury prevention. I can't find any studies, just anecdotal evidence though

Then why state it as being the "best" if you have no evidence to back it up? I always exercise before I eat (mostly to prevent upchucking) and I've had plenty of injuries, therefore I have an anecdote to counteract your anecdote. Doesn't mean anything though. Just anecdotes.

+1 for best time being the time you'll actually do it and stick to doing it. There's no scientific basis for timing work outs with meal/fasting. Your body is not on a 24 hr clock with regularly scheduled maintenance and fuel required. We evolved from a catch as catch can environment, so we're pretty adaptable as a species.

sijomial

The advantages primarily come from actually doing it / fitting it in and then performance / energy levels.

Best time is often 2:30 in the afternoon - that's when my work gym is quiet.
Or late morning when cycling as that's when my energy level is at its best and I don't have to de-layer as it warms up.
Or last thing at night when that's all I can fit in.

Least favourite option for me is first thing in the morning.

coreyreichle

Best time to exercise is whatever time you can do so, regularly, while fitting it into your schedule. Try mornings, lunch, after work, and right before bed. Find out what works for you.

coreyreichle

scorpio516 wrote: »

The best time is 30-60 minutes before you eat.
Somehow refueling after running or biking helps with injury prevention. I can't find any studies, just anecdotal evidence though

It also seems to keep the hunger madness from setting in. I know if I eat a small high protein/fat snack/meal right after my runs, I don't go mad looking for food. If I wait more than 45 minutes or so, I start eating everything in sight.

Lleldiranne

mom23nuts wrote: »

I was exercising in the morning getting it out of the way early, to give myself momentum and a good start to all day motivation.

My kids are home on break and knowing summer is around the corner I may have to switch to exercising in the evenings when my husband is around to supervise them.

Is there an advantage to when the most optimal time is to exercise?

I notice when I exercise early I tend to be hungrier throughout the day and barely have a calorie deficit when dinnertime is over.

Maybe switching it up to conserve calories then exercising at night will trick my brain and body and there will be a definite deficit since I will be heading to bed a few hours later. It has worked the past 2 nights as part of my own little experiment.

I agree with (most) everyone that the ideal time is when you will actually do it.

But, I wanted to address the bolded. I looked at your diary, and you are quite under your goal. You want it to be close to 0 when you are done for the day. The deficit is already worked in. (If you aren't eating back the exercise calories, then you're fairly close to where you want to be). So don't worry about not having much deficit, because you are right about where you told MFP where you want to be, or even under.

rainbowbow

Willbenchforcupcakes wrote: »

When you will actually do it.

yep.

mom23nuts

Thanks all. I guess reading the responses, logically getting in exercise whenever you can as long as is gets done is optimal versus picking out a best time of day. I just seemed to be white knuckling it holding off hunger and spiraling into a feeding frenzy eating throughout the day when I exercise early. It seems as if a switch gets flipped and I am in hunger overdrive throughout the day.

rainbowbow

mom23nuts wrote: »

Thanks all. I guess reading the responses, logically getting in exercise whenever you can as long as is gets done is optimal versus picking out a best time of day. I just seemed to be white knuckling it holding off hunger and spiraling into a feeding frenzy eating throughout the day when I exercise early. It seems as if a switch gets flipped and I am in hunger overdrive throughout the day.

i personally exercise at night for this reason. then i eat dinner right afterwards.

but i know plenty of people who go on and on and on about how awesome "morning workouts" are, and how much "energy" they have all day, blah blah blah.

We are all different, so what's best for one is not necessarily best for another. Do what works for you, your body does not run on a 24 hour clock. It just adapts to what it's put through over an extended period of time.