Does the time of day matter?

Rubes

Hello all!

Is there a "best" time to work out to maximize how many calories are burned in one session? I normally workout about 2-3 hours after eating dinner at about 8 or 9 pm and then go to bed around 11 or 12 pm. Would it be better if I worked out right before dinner or in the morning?

Thanks!

VballLeash

In my opinion you should do it when you can, the important part is that your exercising which is great! Some people have a really hard time getting up in the morning but I like to do it then cause then my workout is done for the day... if you are working out then keep doin what your doin

~Leash

Chenoachem

It is important to workout whenever you can keep it consistent. That being said, there are some studies that suggest if you workout in the morning you burn more calories throughout the day since it keeps your metabolism revved up.

Lisa0711

In my opinion you should do it when you can, the important part is that your exercising which is great! Some people have a really hard time getting up in the morning but I like to do it then cause then my workout is done for the day... if you are working out then keep doin what your doin

~Leash

I also work out in the morning and find it gives my extra energy and like Leash said, it's done for the day and you don't have to worry about it! But, the amount of calories burned can vary by individual. If you're not a morning person, then by working out in the morning you won't have as much energy during your workout and won't burn as many calories (more than likely anyway), so it's best to do it when you can and when you have the most energy to do it.

BrendaLee

It doesn't make much difference overall. If you workout in the morning, it's said your metabolism is raised slightly for a while. If you workout at night, you're working off all of the sugars and carbs you've consumed that day...either way it's a calories game, and you burn about the same number of calories no matter when you workout.

Workout when you know you can dedicate the time and energy to it.

madmama

Some say the morning is the best, others say in the evening. I say whenever you can is the best time. I personally cannot make myself get up earlier in the morning, so I workout about an hour after supper 5 nights a week, this works for me. Find the time that is best for you.

OddSquid

Agreed with everyone here. Do it when you know that you will. If you force yourself to exercise at a time when you don't really want to, it may not be worth the extra calorie burn in the long run.

In other words, you might burn an extra 500 or 1000 calories the first week, but over the course of several weeks, would that matter if that schedule annoys you and you risk slowly not working out at all (I know that's more of an exaggeration, but it's just a Big Picture sort of illustration)?