Work out in the morning...or at night??

In the morning when you first get up is the best time to workout, wether you like it or not, scientists have studied when the best time is, and the study found that since muscles are rested, they can work harder and burn more fat and calories. I LOVE doing exercise in the morning. It makes me wake up better. I only drink one cup of coffee instead of two, cuz I'm already awake. I know you hate morning workouts, but it's the best for you.

hey there - i really don't think that it makes a difference when you work out. whichever coordinates best with your schedule is what you should stick with.

that being said, working out in the morning is a great way to set the tone for the choices you'll make throughout the rest of the day. also, there's been studies done that have suggested that fasted cardio (working out before breakfast) can burn slightly more fat. it's pretty controversial, though.

working out in the evening helps reduce appetite for some people, so before dinner, it can be a great tool. i would try to end your workout a few hours before you go to sleep, however; there are those who find it difficult to fall asleep when working out too close to bedtime.

all in all, provided your effort is the same, you'll probably get the same effects whether you work out in the morning or evening. doesn't matter when your meal times are, either. it will depend on when your focus is greatest and when your schedule allows. :]

i work out both in the mornings and nights depending on what the day's lineup has for me :]

I read that you burn more fat if you work out in the morning before breakfast (empty stomach). Dunno if that helps you out at all.

Personaly I think it depends on the individual. As for me, I am not a morning person so I like to work out afternoons or evenings. I am on the other hand, doing walks in the mornings, as I take my mother for her walk so figure I might as well get a nice walk in at the same time.

I too have read that am workouts burn fat, while evening workouts burn calories....after you've fasted for 7-8hrs ( sleep) and you do your cardio in the morning, your body turns to the stored fat for fuel so I prefer am workouts. Many, many years ago when I used to train for figure and bodybuilding competitons, my trainer gave me no choice but to do my cardio in the am on an empty stomache...( at 430am eeek!) My current work schedule doesn't allow me to do am workout unless it's my days off...

Weights....I always lift weigths prior to cardio...again "they" ( the proverbial they) say that when you lift weights after cardio you lose anywhere between 10 to 15% of your strength and because muscle is so hard to put on; every little bit helps....

However comma none of that matters if you are not consistent....if you perfer to do cardio in the evening and you are consistent....then that's what you should do....every "body" is not the same, so what works for some, most or others doesn't work for all....do what you do regularly if that is not working after say 2 weeks try am workouts and see if it makes a difference ....

It's your body, you can test it and see what yields you the best reuslts

wishing you nothing but the best sister!

Scientifically AM workouts are proven to be more efficient. Having said that, it's not always possible to co-ordinate that in our busy schedules so when you get to the nitty gritty, it's far better to work out than not work out at all. I personally find that a morning workout energizes me and gets me really revved up for the day. It releases endorphins (a feel good chemical).
Don't worry about your calories. Eat 6 small meals (remember to add snacks to your diet) and drink lots of water. With all of this you should be fine and there really shouldn't be a huge difference if you choose to exercise in the Am or PM.

Strength training is very important. Building muscle will help you continuously burn calories over a longer period of time (so when you go to work or you watch TV etc, you will still be burning cal's after the workout). You can either choose to do a cardio/weight program together or you can do cardio (for example) 3 days per wekk and strength training on the other days. Lots of DVD's have great programs for women that blend the two and you don't need a lot of equipment to make it work.

Good Luck!

I'm sorry, don't want to be a pot stirrer but I see a lot of people saying that working out in the morning is "scientifically" proven. As a scientist myself (forensic toxicologist) and a degree in molecular biology people in the field usually get called out when they talk about studies or research. If there are references to any peer reviewed journal articles showing that an AM workout trumps a PM workout 9 times out of 10 can someone please post a link to it?

The pro AM crowd says working out in the morning "forces" the body to burn up fat because there is no food in the system to get fuel from, it energizes people to have them take on the day and exercising at night will get people so energized they won't be able to sleep well.

The pro PM crowd says that the muscles have been properly warmed up, hormone levels are in balance (whatever that means) and you have a good amount of energy to get the most out of your workout, something you don't have after waking up and on an empty stomach.

Seems everyone says it doesn't matter when you do it, as long as you do it. Today I didn't get my workout in at my usual 6:30 since my pals wanted to hang out. I just got home, ate dinner and my dessert and I'm contemplating grabbing a flashlight and going for a quick 30 min stroll in the dark to burn off some calories. I guess the advantage of an AM workout would be if you missed it you have the rest of the day to make it up. Where if I miss my PM workout I don't have that much time to make it up.

I never took a nutrition or physiology course in college, so most of my knowledge is from what I read. But I have to remember that this is the internet and anyone can say anything about any subject...and if it comes up first on google it can lead down a confusing path. With that said I'm going to put on my shoes and grab a flashlight, see the forums in 30.

i too am not a morning person, never have been, but once i started being faithful and diligent to working out, mornings were best and it has helped so much. i've read and heard that when you work out (esp weight train) you are burning more calories ALL day because your resting heart rate is higher due to the workout you had. I also read that working out on an empty tummy on CARDIO only, not weight training, burns more fat. but i agree with most, its on you....its on the individual. what works best for you. what time of the day makes you push your HARDEST? which one keeps you more consistant and mindful? i find that working out in the morning helps me to monitor what i put in my mouth the rest of the day since i worked so hard to work it out.

as far as DVDS go, highly recommend p90x. both weight training and ardio, which we are suppose to have both in our routine to loose weight and keep it off......Jullian Michaels is good as well, just depends on your intensity level and commitment. p90x is hard, and has to be consistant, but well worth it, just gotta keep pressing play and not miss one....no excuses....

good luck!!

Working out in the morning is definitely better for you but I know the feeling of having just eaten a days worth of food and feeling stuffed at the end of the day is disheartening when on a diet.

Here's the secret, do your cardio in the morning, it's worth it and at some point you get used to the routine. When you feel like you have had too much to eat at night or missed your morning cardio do some simple strength exercises in the evening. Just 15-30 minutes of high rep low weight strength training will make you feel 10 times better in the morning, your metabolism will sky rocket and toning will take care of itself. Find some workouts you can do in your home with some cheap weights or one of those rubber bands you attach to your door. Hit all the basic muscle groups while watching a tv show, , even push ups and dips go a long way. Trust me, it's easy and the perfect compliment to morning cardio, try it once and notice how much better you feel in the morning.

I usually do any exercises i have to after eating in the morning.

A couple months ago in a Châtelaine magazine, i found an article by Dr Oz, he had this yoga workout to do every morning first thing, a 7 minute workout. I decided to go for it, since i usually lay in bed to listen to the news, it would get me going while i listened. I also added 20 crunches to it. But the quick 10 minute workout left me feeling nauseous, so i stopped doing it, and am now back to after breakfast.

For me, it is just better to work out on a full tummy.