exercising late at night

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abecker84
abecker84 Posts: 22 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
what are peopled thoughts on this, i work full time and don't have time to do the gym before i go to work, and i was thinking off going to the gym after dinner once my daughter is in bed (her dad will be there to look after her), is there any negative effect???
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Replies

  • tiffanyjc12
    tiffanyjc12 Posts: 5
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    I do the same thing, and the only negative effect I have is that it's very hard to go to sleep at night. I lay awake for way longer than I should. I would like to get up early and workout before work, but it's so hard to make myself get out of bed!
  • silentver
    silentver Posts: 8
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    according to my doctor some people will have a hard time sleeping afterwards....try it and see.
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
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    I don't think so. I usually pop in an exercise DVD or hot on my treadmill after the kids go to bed around 9 pm. It's better than sitting around watching tv and snacking. Some people might say it makes it difficult to sleep if you exercise close to your own bedtime, but I find I fall asleep and sleep fine.
  • jkbear40
    jkbear40 Posts: 37 Member
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    I don't think it matters personally. There are a lot of people who can only go in the evenings. Better than nothing at all.
  • blkpag1
    blkpag1 Posts: 34 Member
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    As long as you have no problems getting to sleep after a workout, you should be good. I work out at night and have found that I need about an hour to unwind after my workout or I have problems falling asleep.
  • calewis17
    calewis17 Posts: 9
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    I do Leslie Sansone's 3 mile videos 4 or 5 times/wk & usually can't start them before 9:30pm. At first it was hard for me to go to bed because I wasn't sleepy, but now I usually go to bed about 30 minutes after finishing the video and shower. I usually sleep pretty good.
  • yasminchy
    yasminchy Posts: 26 Member
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    After 4 years of late nights work outs, I sleep like a baby :) I even get on eliptical trainer at midnight if I don't have time during the day. Works for me.
  • otrlynn
    otrlynn Posts: 278 Member
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    The best time to exercise is the time that you will be able to follow-through and do it! The only negatives that I can think of are that you won't want to exercise too close to a large meal (you will feel very uncomfortable), and exercising too late in the evening keeps some people from being able to fall asleep for awhile. Go for it, and see how you feel.
  • HealthWoke0ish
    HealthWoke0ish Posts: 2,078 Member
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    I work a lot and often don't get a spare moment from the time I arrive at work (around 7am) to the time my responsibilities are done (around 11pm). If I can manage, I wake up earlier to work out...but I often find myself working out late at night. For me, the drawbacks have been 1) I'm kinda tired already so I often don't put as much effort into the late-night workouts as I do into the early morning workouts, and 2) once I've worked out, I'm all pumped up and have a hard time falling asleep.

    Of course, for me, those two drawbacks are worth the trouble since it means that I actually got to work out that day and inch a little closer to my fitness goals. :)

    So to more clearly answer your question re: negative affects. No, I don't consider any of the effects negative. I just consider the one effect--a more fit me--a positive. :)

    Good luck to you! :)
  • o2bADyer
    o2bADyer Posts: 208
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    Going after work is my routine as well. The normal time for me to arrive at the gym is around 9:30 p.m. If my workout is significant, I'm physically worn out and sleep quite well. My physician said that this is good for those who can't sleep too. Getting to the gym is important, so you'll find a way to make it work. :wink:
  • jannessy
    jannessy Posts: 23 Member
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    yea i get off from work at 11 pm work out for about and hr then shower and sleep doesnt effect me
  • SleeplessinBerlin
    SleeplessinBerlin Posts: 513 Member
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    I've been known to work out at 11pm or midnight. It can be hard to find the motivation to start but once I do, it's okay. I don't have any problems with falling asleep later (I know my user name suggests otherwise ;) )

    On the other hand it would be impossible for me to get up an hour earlier to do a workout.
  • JHarr454
    JHarr454 Posts: 50 Member
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    I work out late at night, and I can usually get to sleep.
  • whitnapkin
    whitnapkin Posts: 15
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    I always work out late at night. Many people say that they cannot sleep, but I have the opposite happen to me. After a nice hard workout, I take a hot shower and crawl into bed, after a long day at work, making dinner, paying bills, preparing for an upcoming wedding, and a good workout, I fall asleep pretty much the second I hit my pillow.. the best part? 9 times out of 10 I wake up early and refreshed. :)
  • dlegros
    dlegros Posts: 162 Member
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    Exercise is a very personal thing... Whatever works for you - works.
  • Lochlyn_D
    Lochlyn_D Posts: 492 Member
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    I go for an hour walk at 9 PM. I like it because I always feel heavy after dinner and a walk helps that. It also makes me tired for bed.
  • Lifting_Knitter
    Lifting_Knitter Posts: 1,025
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    I usually start my workout at 10/10:30. I have the choice of working out early in the morning or at night and choose late at night. It helps me get tired enough to sleep. :smile:
  • new_bella
    new_bella Posts: 199 Member
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    I think it depends on the person and/or workout. I usually go for a 45 min walk around 10pm and find that it doesn't really affect my sleep much. However when I do laps at the Olympic pool in the evenings (between 9pm-11pm) I fall asleep much faster.
  • TheShrinkingKween
    TheShrinkingKween Posts: 91 Member
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    Our local gym has 24 hour access, and I usually go no earlier than 9:30. I like going when it's quiet, very few folks there, and I can do what I came to do without waiting on machines or anything. I don't know about other folks, but I sleep like a log after. I usually workout for about an hour and a half, go home and have a protein smoothie, quick shower (or sometimes a hot bath), and straight to bed! I have trouble falling asleep when I DON'T work out at night!
  • trixchialoveskimchi6
    trixchialoveskimchi6 Posts: 30 Member
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    my mom scolds me for working out at night.so happy to see your opinions at least 'm not alone. she is so old fashioned...

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