Morning or evening?

lane823
lane823 Posts: 41
in Fitness and Exercise
Do you workout in the morning or in the evening (or both)? And what do you believe is more effective? I workout at night after supper. Just curious to know what others think.
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Replies

  • withervein
    withervein Posts: 224 Member
    I believe the workout you are able to do regularly is the most effective.

    If you're not a morning person, but you're trying to swing a 5 a.m. wake up because someone tells you it's better, you aren't going to keep it up for long because you're gonna hate yourself.

    I get up at 5:45 so I can be at work at 8 with an hour commute. My workouts are in the evenings because there's no way I'm getting up at 4:30 when I hate mornings anyway.

    If there is any difference in effect, it's not enough to outweigh skipping a workout because you can't wake up for it.
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    Mine varies. On days when I'm in the office, I work out in the evening. On days when I'm working from home but my fiancé is in the office, I wake when he does and get a run in at 6am, and then do another on my lunch break. On Saturdays, I just do one run in the morning at whatever time I wake up naturally.
  • HarleyQuinn_12
    HarleyQuinn_12 Posts: 363 Member
    I workout with a trainer 3x a week in the evening. I am SOOOO not a morning person. The thought of getting up early to workout just makes me sleepy. hah
  • BMcLeodTeam
    BMcLeodTeam Posts: 15 Member
    I do both, but as the previous poster said it has to be something that you can stick to!
  • Carrot1971
    Carrot1971 Posts: 272 Member
    In the beginning I tried to wake upat 5:30 to get in my hour workout simply because I had no time in the evenings. And I'm even a morning person. I couldn't keep it up. I find I'm not a morning workout person. I just made it a point to work out at night. Even if its at 9 or 10. I have to do it. I do try to go for a walk at lunch, however. But, its whatever works for you.
  • dlw13
    dlw13 Posts: 119 Member
    Mornings for me, at least during the week. If I wait until after work, I come up with too many excuses to not work out. I find that getting up and getting going helps me feel good throughout the day.
  • rjo921
    rjo921 Posts: 130
    It all depends on work....if I am working late then I do my workouts in the morning....otherwise I do my workouts in the evening. I have not noticed a difference as far as having more energy during the day if I exercise during the morning...but I have anemia and other things that affect energy.

    It all depends on you...and what is best for you. The point is that you are exercising and that is what counts....doesn't really matter when it gets done just as long as it does. :smile:
  • redcat17
    redcat17 Posts: 267 Member
    I work out in the morning when my darling yet annoying cats wake me up at the crack of dawn, which happens most days. I'm not a morning person, but I kind of like getting it out of the way.

    On some days the cats don't wake me up, so I do it after work and before dinner, which seems to take a bit more motivation. I know that establishing a routine is a good thing, but sometimes life gets in the way so you just have to squeeze it in when you can!
  • SCSTWG
    SCSTWG Posts: 182 Member
    I work out at night after the kids go to bed. I kind of prefer to do it in the morning, but I leave for work at 5:45 AM and getting up at 4:00 AM to exercise seems a bit extreme. Like has already been said, whatever time works for you is the best time. I think the results will be simialr regardless of time.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Morning on weekends, evening during the week (I have to be at work too early to do it in the morning).

    I don't think either is more effective, but I do have more energy and stamina in the evenings.
  • js370
    js370 Posts: 140
    I worked out in the evening and in the last weeks have started working out in the morning. There's really no difference. You go when you can go.
  • katejenkins1
    katejenkins1 Posts: 210 Member
    I agree whichever works best for you is the most effective.
    I workout at 5:45 am 30 day shred, walk 1.4 miles during my lunch hour at work and most nights I walk 4 miles with a couple of friends.

    I prefer the morning workouts, after it's over, I think it makes me feel better for the day, but I love the nightly walks and I sleep so well afterwards.
  • gurganuss
    gurganuss Posts: 78 Member
    I walk on my breaks on work. I do crunches in the morning. But my actual workout time is in the evening after work.
  • momofJandA
    momofJandA Posts: 1,035 Member
    I run in the mornings (5am) before the rest of the family is up. Its the only time I can work out where I don't feel like I am taking time away from the kids (I work full time). I also walk at lunch time, walk after dinner, and crunch at night while putting my little one to bed- so heavy cardio in the morning and bursts throughout the rest of the day
  • BruteSquad
    BruteSquad Posts: 373 Member
    The only difference I noticed is that I would go through the motions in the morning and it was hard to get started. If I am just walking I guess that is okay. If I work out in the evening, I can really push the workout. I used to come up with all kinds of excuses, and there have been nights due to working really late that I have missed a workout. But now, if I work late, I just add a workout Saturday or Sunday. (usually I have an active rest day Saturday and a rest day Sunday) I stopped accepting excuses from myself so I don't worry about that any more.
  • blink1021
    blink1021 Posts: 1,115 Member
    I tried the whole morning work out getting up at 5am to get it out of the way so I wouldn't have to worry about it and I would stick with it for almost a month then I would miss one workout and it would go downhill from there. I choose the evenings because I will stick to it during the week and on weekends I go whenever I can. I am not a morning person at all.
  • Grandysl
    Grandysl Posts: 189
    I became a morning person about 20 years ago when I went to Ft Benning for Basic Training. I still am! I get up at 345, am at work before 0500 (where I work out) and workout until about 0745. For the last few months I had a mandatory workout at 0550, but I dont have theat anymore, but will still go in early.
    I will occasionally do an evening workout (Bowflex Treadclimber) sometime between 1830-2100.

    I have read that according to our Cicadian (Sp) Rythem the best time for most to workout would be late afternoon, the 1500-1700 time frame. There are reasons why this is optimal, but I cannot remember the exact reasons.
  • lindalee0315
    lindalee0315 Posts: 527 Member
    I am a morning exerciser. I have to admit it wasn't a natural choice. Prior to having my son, I tried to work out in the evenings. My job, however, constantly got in the way of this. I bit the bullet and started going in the morning when there are no meetings, last minute projects, demanding partners, whatever. I was very consistent in this routine until my son was born. Then, the new baby threw everything off. I tried various times and struggled for about two years. Finally, I just went back to mornings. It's what works for me, although I am not a morning person by nature. My mantra to get out of bed was "Fit or fat". Not very nice, but it worked for me. I dropped the 40 lbs of baby weight I had packed on that didn't just spontaneously disappear after my 4 lb 13 oz baby was born.
  • gomisskellygo
    gomisskellygo Posts: 635 Member
    Morning on weekends, evening during the week (I have to be at work too early to do it in the morning).

    I don't think either is more effective, but I do have more energy and stamina in the evenings.


    This.
  • ajohn252
    ajohn252 Posts: 158
    During the school year I worked out mostly in the evening and it was alright but now
    that I'm off I've been working out during the day and it's SOOO much better.
    My apatite was more controlled working out during the earlier hours and that made it much
    easier to make better food choices.
    Hope that helped!

    P.S. working out earlier will give your metabolism more of a kick-start
  • jodyl70
    jodyl70 Posts: 94
    I am up to go to the gym at 4:15am on weekdays. I am a morning person, do a weight routine and like being able to hog the weight room for my super sets! :happy:

    I also do kettle bells 2 nights a week, and do find I am usually fdragging myself to the class.

    Whatever works for you is the best!
  • montana_girl
    montana_girl Posts: 1,403 Member
    I work out in the morning, just so I can get it done and over with. If for some reason I can't work out in the morning, I will do it at some point in the evening, usually before dinner, but later if I have to! :happy:

    This fall I will be running a night time half marathon, so I will need to start running later in the evening... I am not looking foward to that change! :ohwell:
  • lane823
    lane823 Posts: 41
    Glad to hear that everyone agrees that as long as we are working out - who cares the time of day! I am not a morning person, either. I've been told by other "fit" people that in order to get my metabolism going - I should work out within 30 minutes of waking up. And that I should eat 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking up. Which is impossible for me to do - I have to take thyroid meds and I cannot eat for an hour after I take them. I've just always had this nagging thought in my head that I should be working out in the morning. Thanks everyone for the boost in my confidence that I am doing great!
  • JanetLM73
    JanetLM73 Posts: 1,226 Member
    I workout in the morning once the kids have left for school. My house is empty for 2.5 hours.
  • DisneyAddictRW
    DisneyAddictRW Posts: 800 Member
    I prefer to start my day off with an early morning workout. Usually about 5am.
  • GSCPostBaby
    GSCPostBaby Posts: 111 Member
    Cardio in the morning, strength in the evening.
  • jjnt007
    jjnt007 Posts: 302 Member
    Monday - Friday I workout at 5:30 pm after work. I eat after my workout. Sometimes on the weekend I am bad and do not workout but this past Sunday I arrived at the gym at 12:30pm and left at 3pm.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Glad to hear that everyone agrees that as long as we are working out - who cares the time of day! I am not a morning person, either. I've been told by other "fit" people that in order to get my metabolism going - I should work out within 30 minutes of waking up. And that I should eat 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking up. Which is impossible for me to do - I have to take thyroid meds and I cannot eat for an hour after I take them. I've just always had this nagging thought in my head that I should be working out in the morning. Thanks everyone for the boost in my confidence that I am doing great!

    I read an article in a fitness magazine a while ago about a study suggesting that the best time to workout depends on the person. Something about your personal chemical composition or whatever and some people have better results first thing in the morning while others have better results in the afternoon or evening. I can't remember the details of it, but it made a lot of sense. Even if I exercise in the morning, I need to be awake at least 30 minutes before I can do anything.
  • steflbrown
    steflbrown Posts: 168
    evening--before dinner.
  • sharleengc
    sharleengc Posts: 792 Member
    I think it doesn't matter as long as you make yourself go!

    I personally prefer the evening right when I get home from work because I hate having to take a shower and wash my hair in the morning before work...mainly because I hate to dry it.

    I have tried the morning but I can't seem to wake up. My husband currently gets up at 4;30am and leaves at 5am for work and everyday I say "okay, this is the day you exercise in the morning before work"...but everyday I go back to bed until 7. Some people just can't swing the morning time.

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