what time of day do you exercise - poll topic

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dskline1
dskline1 Posts: 123
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi there! I have been MIA for a long time and have finally gotten back to the cleaner eater and regular exercise. I have had a change in jobs which allows alot more freedom for workouts, which leads me to my question. What are your personal pro's and con's to what time of day you work out...morning, afternoon or evening? Currently, I work out in the evening - anywhere from 6 - 8 pm starting time. I struggle with the 7-9 pm time period of thinking I have the munchies...so, exercising at this time of day helps me avoid unnecessary snacking. (although, I do have a good protein/carb snack if it is a longer workout afterward I am done exercising) Anyway, with the job change, I pretty much can exercise any time of the day....curious what your thoughts will be.
Any insight would be helpful.

Thanks!

Replies

  • elmct57
    elmct57 Posts: 594 Member
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    :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
    whatever works for you is the way to go. i get out mornings before 9 am since i live in tx and it's hot and muggy here. would love to do an evening walk but have to wait till 8 and it would interfere with my sleep. going into survival mode here with the temps, so many of the outside activities will be pushed back to early am soon.
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
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    I work out as soon as I get out of work, before I can get comfortable in my apartment. I'm usually home between 5:30-6pm, and I'll workout for half an hour to an hour. It's worked great for me so far, since I shower in the evenings. I'm not a morning person so getting up and working out and showering all before work is just not gonna happen.
  • Behavior_Modification
    Behavior_Modification Posts: 24,482 Member
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    I am the most energetic in the early evenings right after work before I'm home relaxing for the night. I've tried to work out in the mornings too and I'm just too tired and lethargic yet that early and then get frustrated with myself for not being able to crank it up. If I work out too close to bed time then I can't fall asleep or I get a lousy night sleep.
  • leix
    leix Posts: 176
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    I work out. morning, early afternoon & some evenings.
  • VeryKerri
    VeryKerri Posts: 359 Member
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    I work out on my lunch break by getting a quick 30 minute vaery fast walk in. Then I will sometimes do an aerobic workout at night after work, or play a good energetic WII game with the kids. I really like the lunchtime workout though. I don't dread it at all and I enjoy getting out and clearing my head. I also live in south Texas so its hot as hades out there while Im doing it, but the endorphins I get are enough to get me over it!
  • Precious_Nissa
    Precious_Nissa Posts: 416
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    You have to do what works for you...Not everyone has time in mornings/evenings/nights etc....for me, evenings are better because i work 8 to 5 and have other things to do, so normally i work out between 8 and 9 start times.....you just have to do what you have time to do...as long as you are working out, thats what matters.
  • LoveMy4Kids
    LoveMy4Kids Posts: 231
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    It all depends on how my day is going and what I am doing! I like to work out in the evening after I have finished my daily food intake, lol, but also if I work out in the morning or early afternoon then I can go for a walk in the evening!
  • nachoqtpie
    nachoqtpie Posts: 81
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    I try to get my workout done in the morning. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I go over to a friends house and we work out in the morning. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I work out at home, so, I try to get it in between kids movies!! LOL
  • summersk
    summersk Posts: 59
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    While i am definitely NOT a morning person, I still find that working out in the morning makes my day better. I usually get up around 6am with my husband (also on this site and losing weight, though not nearly as much:grumble: ) and we do our workouts together. I spend the better half of a 30min workout with my eyes shut trying to wake up all the way, then I cool down and take a shower and by the time I'm done with my shower I usually feel like I could run a marathon, not that I would try though!:wink: I have found that morning workouts give me more energy through out the day and I sleep like a stone at night, all of which is a big deal for me since I am on thyroid replacement and it's not 100% accurate yet. So if I can sleep all night with no interruptions and have energy all day I'm happy, even if I have to get up at 6am to get all of that!:bigsmile:

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  • xTattooedDollx
    xTattooedDollx Posts: 426 Member
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    I go to the gym at 4:30am. Its not crazy busy (at night you have to wait forever to get on ellipticals) and it keeps me energized all day! When I workout at night I'm up all night.
  • annak4
    annak4 Posts: 5
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    I am so not a morning person but I really prefer working out then and having it done for the day. Summers that is easy because I'm a teacher. During the school year it is harder especially when the weather is cold. Just can't make myself get out of that warm bed to face the cold weather. In the spring I enjoy evening walks but it is way to easy to get comfy at home and not make it outside for exercise. So I would say my time of day changes with the seasons. I have rec center to work out in but they don't open til 6 am and I just can't wait that late to work out and have time to get ready for work.
  • junebug523
    junebug523 Posts: 196
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    I exercise when I can. I prefer morning workouts, but that's not possible on work days, since I have to get up at 5 am for work as it is. Getting up any earlier than that is just NOT going to happen. :ohwell: On work days, I take a 20-30 minute walk during my lunch break and also work out for another 30 minutes in the evenings (usually more intense, like the 30 Day Shred or walking/jogging intervals). Sometimes I work out right after getting home from work, sometimes I wait until after dinner. It depends on how ravenous my husband and I are, and how long dinner takes to prepare.

    On weekends, I like to workout in the mornings. I also work out for longer on the weekends, since I have more time. I'll usually do an intense workout (60 minutes of walk/jog intervals, Jillian Michaels video, etc.) as well as a more leisurely walk later on in the day.
  • imarlett
    imarlett Posts: 228 Member
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    During the work week, evenings. On the weekend, first thing in the morning.
  • RentThisSpace
    RentThisSpace Posts: 96 Member
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    I normally work out around 4-7pm, right after I finish work. I'm thinking about waking up earlier to run in the morning to beat the Texas heat, but that would mean waking up at 5 for a 30 min run before I have to get ready. Not too feasible on my schedule.
  • MisdemeanorM
    MisdemeanorM Posts: 3,493 Member
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    I used to work out in the evening after work, but now I work out in the mornings because I only have a car before 9 AM - I would say base the time around what you want to do - I would work out during the day if I 1) didn't have to work during the day and 2) had a car :) because there are some great classes at the gym I would like to go to like Pilates and Zumba. Or, if you workout outside feel free to base it around temperature.

    I think i like mornings better because I used to sleep in later then use my evenings at the gym. Now I get up earlier, and still have my evenings free ... well, by "free" I mean... full of other house stuff... :)

    Do whatever is most convenient and most fun for you - you're more likely to stick with it!

    But - if you get up in the morning to do it - stick with it for at least a month before you decide you hate mornings! You get used to it! Someone on here said something i think about when wanting to hit snooze "i have never regretted going to the gym, but I have regretted not going" - that gets my butt up in the morning :)
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Over the years I've tried about every time of day.

    Despite actually being a morning person, working out then does not work well, I feel terrible.

    Lunchtime is alright.

    After work 4-6 usually works best for me. Lots of energy, I feel great.

    Working out later in the evening is fine as far as feel during my workout, but it leaves me too wound up and I don't fall asleep until too late.
  • HeatherCanDoIt
    HeatherCanDoIt Posts: 165 Member
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    I have 2 small children at home so I fit exercise in when I can. I try to get in the 30 Day Shred DVD in the morning, I try to walk as much as possible during the day and often when the kids are asleep and my husband is off work I can sneak off to the gym for a good workout.
    Good Luck!
  • SwissCakeRoll
    SwissCakeRoll Posts: 5
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    I understand the value of working out in the morning (you kick start your metabolism and make it work hard for you all day)...plus you are less likely to vereat/snack if you alread kicked your butt into gear with an awsome workout..

    However, it would take serious commitment for me, and Im just not an AM "go-getter". I like to to work out between 1-3pm or in the evenings do a slow jog with my dog. If I dont work out in the afternoon Im less likely to push myself in the evening because my mind is in relaxation mode
  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
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    I do small aerobics in the morning, before work (wii fit step, usually.)

    Then my real workout after work (1am-ish).
    On my days off, I do it whenever I can.

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