Working out at night time.

IllianaIman

I actually never heard of that. I exercise at night as well, after the baby is asleep. my only option actually.
Better someone thing than nothing

Alluring72

I have the same issues - I can get a walk in over lunch but a workout has to wait till evening/night. The main issue is getting a good night sleep - getting your heart rate up and then crashing doesn't work for some. Do what works for you.

tcunbeliever

I have been working out at night for about 10 years now...it has proven to be a cure for my insomnia issues as I find the whole process relaxing overall - I workout hard, I cool down and stretch afterward, I feel great and accomplished, I get a snack, shower, and off to bed. For me it has been fantastic. I would recommend the snack afterward, if I miss my snack I either wake up at 3am unable to sleep because I'm hungry, or I end up with major blood sugar swings the following day...but I tend toward hypoglycemia, so that might just be something I'm sensitive to that won't happen to you.

Give it a try and find what works for you!

Sarena3

I have always heard that it is a bad idea to exercise at night time. That is going to be the only time available for me to exercise. (After the kids go to sleep.) So what's the big deal? My options at this point are diet only, or diet and exercise at night.

I am asking this here because I have been reading about how it's not necessary to eat breakfast if you don't want to. So obviously, I have been hearing a bunch of myths and letting them derail my health.

I need some good info!
Thanks!

What I've found is that the work out winds me up and I can't go to sleep for about 2 to 3 hrs after. If you have the time between work out and when you need to get to sleep to wind down it should be okay. Better than not at all that's for sure.

EveyRose

workout when it works best for you. each person has different energy levels throughout the day. your metabolism is still running no matter what you do, even if you eat late in the evening, you still burn calories while you are sleeping...the entire eat your breakfast thing is to get fuel in your body and to speed up your metabolism. I'm not big for eating first thing in teh morning btu i do feel better if i do, i prefer a big glass of veggie juice and keep on rolling!

powersurges

I noticed when I walk at night I have trouble falling asleep, however even when walking at 8pm and having to get up at 4:30am I still seem to wake up better even if I have fallen asleep after 10pm. Very strange but its nice.

Wish I had the motivation to wake up before work, however I am already listening to the alarm at 4:30am and don't get home till 5:30pm. This makes for a long day!

frank533

The only reason you may have heard not to exercise at night is because when you work out you release endorphins. This tends to give some people more energy, which may keep them up at night. An important thing to do at night is to eat your last meal/snack at least 3 hours before you go to bed so your body has time to digest and burn off some of what you ate.

KXanthos

As far as breakfast...we hear such conflicting information... "If you don't eat in the morning, you'll screw up your metabolism" and "don't eat if you're not hungry" completely contradict each other. What if I'm not hungry in the morning? Should I force myself to eat or should I skip the meal and screw up my metbolism? I choose to eat when I'm hungry and not eat when I'm not. This means I have breakfast some days and I don't on other days. It also means my first meal could be at 8:00 in the morning or 10:30 in the morning. Bottom line is that I try to listen to my body.

MFPBrandy

It's not a bad idea to exercise at night. Do what works for you. With some people, exercising at night gets them too pumped up and they don't sleep well. With others, it gets them in just the right mood for sleep. Even if it's not your optimal time, doing it is WAY better than not doing it.
As for eating in the morning -- again, do what works for you. I'm not particularly hungry in the morning (in fact, if I eat too much too early, I feel ill), but I also know that when I DO eat in the morning, I have a lot more energy throughout the day -- even compared to eating breakfast just a couple hours later. So I keep it small -- a smoothie with some yogurt & protein powder is enough to kick start my energy levels, but doesn't make me feel uncomfortably full or sluggish.

ladyfox1979

I work out at night and I find that I am exhausted when I am done. I usually make a protein shake right after my workout and then go to sleep an hour later.

Its funny cuz I sleep better now since I moved my workouts to nightime

mommamills

I absolutely echo the main point that everyone else is saying.....at night is better than not at all. If you try to exercise when OTHER PEOPLE tell you that you should and at inconvenient times, chances are you will NOT stick to it. Exercise whenever you can and give it your all. It is better to exercise in the am simply because it gives your metabolism a rocket boost first thing....in saying that I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON!!! I almost never exercise in the am even after knowing the benefits. As far as breakfast...you should always eat SOMETHING! This gets your body /metabolism up and going. Even if it's a piece of toast, piece of fruit....something. I have always had trouble with this because I get nausious if I eat first thing in the am. I'd always have to wait until at least 10:00. I eventually worked myself out of that even though it is still tough to EAT something. Now I have a BBV protein shake and feel full, strong, and satisfied....ready to start the day!! Good luck and just keep on truckin! :drinker:

hnsaunde

I exercise mainly in the late afternoon/early evenings because it works best with my schedule. I prefer to weight train in the late afternoon because of the energy boost it gives me afterwards. Intense cardio training (i.e. sprints or interval training) exhausts me, so if anything I'll do that right before bed to ensure I sleep well.

misfit34

My mornings are pretty hectic. I get up early, but don't have time to get a work out in, so I always do mine in the evenings/night time.

mznisaelaine

My thing is to make sure I workout before I end my day. That's what I follow.

I know some people say that can't sleep right away when they workout at night but I'm the opposite. I fall asleep fast and I sleep like a baby and I wake up in a good mood. So workout whenever you want to, at least your working out!

MaybeAMonkey

I have never once exercised in the morning, most of mine are after work and I've lost 33 lbs and counting IMHO moving regardless of the time of day is always better than sitting on the couch

^^^ This! She is so right! Doesn't matter when you do it, just do it. I am a night owl, not a morning person - all of my workouts during the week are after work around 8pm or 9pm. I find the evening workouts followed by a warm shower gives me better sleep. You'll find a routine that works best for you because you'll be the one making time in your life for this.

Spanaval

It's ok to workout at night. The only downsides to it is that you won't burn off the fat as quickly, and you might have a harder time getting a good night's sleep. The reason for both of these is because working out increases your heart rate over a period of time after you've finished. Keeping your heart rate up during the day burns more calories, but if you go straight to bed, your heart rate will settle faster, reducing that added bonus.

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My heart rate goes back to resting within a few minutes of finishing my workout, even after cardio. How quickly it returns to normal depends on the individual's fitness level, age, intensity and duration of the effort, but it it takes a substantial amount of time, it's time to head to the doctor for a check-up. Difficulty regaining resting heart rate is an indication of heart problems.

IcassI

I've tried the AM workouts and have not had the same amount of energy as I do with my PM workouts. I always work out after I get home from work b/c I prefer to work out before dinner. I've lost 31 lbs with this method, however on the weekends I typically do my workouts in the morning.

IcassI

and you might have a harder time getting a good night's sleep.

I'm not sure I agree with this. My workouts typically zap my energy as it has already been a long day before I even work out due to my commute times. I eat dinner after working out and can easily fall asleep within an hour of finishing my workout. I think it just depends on the person. And honestly, if only evenings will work for your schedule, do it, you really have to do what is best for you and your schedule. Specifically what will keep you motivated and getting healthier.

DeeShows

As a mother of three I have to workout at night:) I just have to make myself go to bed and not stay up all night......

MichelleB1427

I like working out at night. It fits my schedule and it actually helps me fall asleep. AND I am not really a morning person so I cant seem to get myself out of bed just to exercise before work! I feel that if I exercise when I want to it's not so hard to get up and do!