When Do YOU Exercise?

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agataarchangel
agataarchangel Posts: 292 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Just out of curiosity; When, in your opinion, is the best time to exercise... morning or evening? And when do you exercise?

Myself, I prefer morning workouts- after breakfast, of course- because it helps get you going in the morning and energizes you. Not to mention the sense of accomplishment you get and continue to feel for the rest of the day. I find morning workouts are more effective too, as you have much more of it than after a full day's work or whatever- and you haven't had time yet to make up excuses for yourself as to why you shouldn't workout.

Working a full-time job, however, prevents me from doing am workouts and so I'm stuck going right after work or in the evening- and I find I never get as-good of a workout because you've got the whole day behind you already, and motivation along with energy is lower than it is in the mornings. But, this leaves you to workout following most of the day's meals...and so, is it more effective for toning up or weight loss because of that?

Just curious. Let me know what you guys think!
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Replies

  • ktbug1186
    ktbug1186 Posts: 266
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    the only time i get to workout is getting up at 5:45 am every morning...its pure hell since Im SO not a morning person. But after its done, i feel alot better :) and I always used to say i would do it after work, and never did! I was always too tired. So morning works for me!
  • Fineraziel
    Fineraziel Posts: 140
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    Well... Im at home (maternity break). hihi! ;D So I can workout anytime. Usually, I prefer doing it late in the morning, so I can have my lunch right after.

    I used to workout (a few years ago...) when I was a full-time student (8 to 4pm). At the time, I splitted my workouts in 2. So I was doing about 30 minutes in the morning (as soon as I get up) and then again 30 minutes in the afternoon (as soon as I get home).
  • MissAnjy
    MissAnjy Posts: 2,480 Member
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    I have 2 young kids so I prefer to workout at night after they are in bed sleeping (after 8-9pm) that way I can maximize the time. I could workout until midnight if i liked with no interruptions!!! However, I also have a husband who I have to make time for lol. When my husband works days, I workout only during the kids nap in the afternoon (1.5-2 hours) and we do family time at night. When he works nights, I workout after 8-9 and when he works a mid day shift, sometimes my kids will visit with the grandparents so i can have a few uninterrupted hours during the afternoon.

    I do whatever I can with the time that I'm given pretty much. I work with what I have. lol
  • ladybug91254
    ladybug91254 Posts: 232 Member
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    I do AM before work...out of necessity. So I too get up at 5:30...or 5:15 depending on what is going on that day. I hate getting up so early but I feel lots better all day...and I'm not so sure I could do an evening one...I'm usually mentally wiped out at the end of the day.
  • justwannaplay
    justwannaplay Posts: 5
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    I workout at 5 am before work, otherwise I know I won't do it at all! I didn't used to be a morning person, but I have to admit that working out puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day:bigsmile: PLUS I know how many extra calories I get to eat:bigsmile:
  • rstuartcpa
    rstuartcpa Posts: 7 Member
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    If I don't do it first thing in the morning, I most likely will skip that day. I'm up at 5:45 AM and stationary bike in front of the TV for forty minutes. It feels great after I'm done.
  • amycal
    amycal Posts: 646 Member
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    I like to work out in the morning but I only do so on the days I don't work or don't work until later. I work 2 part-time jobs so my schedule varies. On days I work starting in morning I go to club around 4:00. Occasionally I go later but now in the winter when it is so dark and cold I don't really like to do that.
  • avalonfloyd
    avalonfloyd Posts: 44
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    As I am currently unemployed after graduating college, the day is my oyster and I can exercise whenever I want. I used to split my routine into two, or really just do 2 routines a day, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon. Now I just do a morning workout. I try to make sure I'm on either our elliptical or our stationary bike by 9 or 10am at the latest. I was getting up at 7.30 every morning, eating breakfast and working out by 8.30, but the holidays have pushed me back a little, I've been sleeping later, but I'm still usually working out by 10.
  • Meganne1982
    Meganne1982 Posts: 451
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    I get up, have a cup of coffee while I write in my journal and then I HAVE to workout before I do anything else in the day or I know I won't work out at all. I'm lucky though, and don't have to go off to work in the morning, so I can be a little leisurely about it. When I was working early mornings I just had to make myself get up all the more early.
  • msbanana
    msbanana Posts: 793 Member
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    10 years ago I woke up at 5am everyday and worked out- it was a routine from high school I managed to keep through college and it was easy. I broke the habit and haven't been able to consistently get up enough motivation to do it everyday. I have the best excuses in the morning, snooze buttons, breakfast, snooze buttons, coffee, snooze buttons... :wink:

    I do find I have plenty of energy after work and because I'm not rushed (in the morning I only have about an hour) I can get a good solid workout in and I'm not skipping anything. I take away all my excuses by packing my gym bag in the morning and I head straight to the gym. I plug in the music and do work.

    If I had my way (which I don't because I gotta work to afford the gym membership) I would go mid morning. I like the energy I have an hour or two after breakfast and I like being able to follow the work out with a good lunch... BUUUT that's a pleasure I only get on the weekends. :ohwell:
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    I work out on my lunch hour, we have a nice, free, gym at my office building, so I use it. Sometimes I'll work out at home, we have a couple of spin bikes, a gym quality stepper, and some weights in our basement, I'll use them, if I didn't get to work out at the office and/or on the weekends in the winter. You can find great deals on gym quality equipment if you look around. we found these 2 spin bikes for 50 bucks because they were rusty, but otherwise they were in good working order, I sanded off the rust, repainted with radiator paint, replaced the pads, and put in new pedal foot straps, and they were like new. Total cost per bike, about 90 bucks, total cost of a new gym quality spin bike of the same caliber, about 900 to 1500 bucks. Same deal with the stepper, it was gym quality, cost me $150, to buy one new is about 1500 to 2000 dollars, I replaced a 15 dollar spring and it was as good as new. Took about 5 minutes to replace it, they sell them at almost every hardware store.
  • dom300186
    dom300186 Posts: 127 Member
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    I do mine about 7 in the morning I'm a stay at home mum and I do 30 mins then 30 mins in the evening. Just works for me:)
  • AKosky585
    AKosky585 Posts: 607 Member
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    Right now my work schedule is not consistent so it just depends on when I work that day. If I work at 11 or later, then I get up around 7, have breakfast and then start my workout around 8. If I work early in the day, then I do it usually when I get home or after dinner. If it is a day off, then usually mid-morning. It would be nice to have a set routine, but I just have to fit it in whenever I can and hope for the best.
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 21,711 Member
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    I work from home, so I have the luxury of having a pretty flexible schedule. I usually do my workouts an hour or two after breakfast.
  • jmijares
    jmijares Posts: 11
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    I'm a late afternoon/early evening workout person, mostly because it's my way of relieving stress at the end of the day. I work an early shift in the office, starting at 6:45am, so the earlier I get in and the earlier I leave, the smoother my commute will be. I've tried working out early in the morning while on business trips, but the late afternoon/early evening workouts help ease me into the night and I can sleep better.
  • fasttrack27
    fasttrack27 Posts: 324
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    Mostly mornings. Up @ 4:45, arrive @ gym 5:15, usually do a class from 5:30-6:15, then another 1/2 hour on my own (abs and/or some weight). Quick trip to sauna, then home by 7:15-7:30. Can still help get kids on school bus, grab breakfast, and be in my home office by 8am. I made myself do this enough that now I can go to sleep a little earlier and its easier to get up that early. But it sucks on weekends when the internal clock wakes you up.....
  • glfprncs2
    glfprncs2 Posts: 625 Member
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    I prefer 10:00 a.m., however, since I have a full-time job, that doesn't work so well! I have to leave the house for work at 6:15, so if I workout in the a.m., I'd have to start at 4:15. NOT going to happen (though I did do 2 mornings per week for 2 months last year during my P90X doubles rotation). For me, since I get home at 3:30, I chill until 4:15 then get my workout on. I usually walk my dogs first for 45-60 minutes then hit my strength or cardio workout afterwards.
  • maureak
    maureak Posts: 107 Member
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    I work out every other day, always in the morning at 5:00 (40 minutes of cardio and 10 minutes of weights). I've tried in the past to work out every day and would get mad at myself if I missed a day. Now I never miss a work out.

    Working out in the morning is mandatory for me; I would never get in a workout if I waited until the evening. Plus - I get to see how many extra calories I have for the day, if I need them.
  • TaneeisFitforLife
    TaneeisFitforLife Posts: 433
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    I have two set water aerobic classes a day at 8:30am & 5:30pm that I teach Monday-Thursday and I'm about to pick up two more on Fridays....when I'm not doing those I like working out right before lunch (when the kids are in school).
  • AdamATGATT
    AdamATGATT Posts: 573 Member
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    The best time to workout is anytime that you can! Morning, mid-day, afternoon, evening...whichever it can be sqeezed into. Just get up and move at some point!

    I have no time in the mornings. I could do it at mid-day, but my lunch period does not allow me to fit in my full workout, clean up, and get back to work in time. I usually use my afternoons for other chores and preparing dinner, so that's out.

    Guess that leaves evening for me! I workout six days a week, 3 strength training, and three cardio workouts. Between 40 - 50 minutes per workout. I've been doing this schedule since November 2nd and I haven't missed a single workout so far, even while traveling and through the holidays. Edit: All of this has been at home...not at a gym.

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