Workout Schedule- Workout in the morning or night?

raven56706
raven56706 Posts: 918 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Question for you all- Looking for some advice. My current workout schedule works like this. Mondays- wednesdays, and fridays are weight training with 20 minute low impact spinning. Days in between are spinning classes for 45 minutes. I take off on Sundays. Now i wake up everyday to workout at 4:30am and then workout in my basement. I start working out at 5am as i give myself those 30 minutes to wake up. I can only workout til 6am.

I love working out in the morning but I believe it takes alittle toll on me as i have to sleep at 9:30 -10 to at least get 6 hours of sleep. Now i can do my exercises right when i get home around 6pm but then i dont want to be wired and not be able to sleep decently at night.

thoughts? Looking to see which one would provide the most sound sleep

Replies

  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Try both and see which you like better. I do cardio before work. Get up around 5:15, rr, hair up, start. I don't wait to feel "awake", the workout does that for me. I lift twice a week after work. I tried going before work, but after just works better for me. The weight room is at work, btw...
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    I go for an after work ride almost every day. I have hours between getting home and going to bed. Usually I sleep better after winding down from some exercise.
  • busyPK
    busyPK Posts: 3,788 Member
    I think it is a personal choice. For me, I exercise right after work because it is what fits in with my schedule. I use to be able to do it in the AM before work, but now I'm at a gym with daycare and the kids love to go there so it's a win-win for me. Like @DancingMoosie stated, try a week or each and see what works best for you. :smile:
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    I can't get up early enough for morning workouts. I'm out the door between 5:30 and 5:40 to bike to the station for a 5:50 train. 3 days a week, I'll run at lunch. Tuesday and Thursday I'll run after I get home from work at 6:00. Saturdays and Sundays are long rides and long runs.

    No issues sleeping, I don't get enough either way.

    I used to run 5 mornings a week when I didn't have to leave till 7:30, and run 3 lunchtimes a week. But I didn't get home till 6:30-7:00, and the kid's bedtime was 8...
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited June 2017
    In the summer I am an AM rider because I cycle outside and afternoon/evening temps can easily be over 100* and homey don't play that. I'm not a morning person per sei, but I do really like starting my day that way...my weekday rides are limited to about 8-12 miles depending on how much time I have...if I got out of bed on time, etc...that mileage takes be anywhere between 25-45 minutes.

    I lift on Tuesday and Friday evenings (I also ride those mornings)...those are usually my best nights sleep.

    IDK, from a pure time management perspective you might want to consider splitting up your Monday/Wed/Fri sessions into AM and PM sessions.

    I'm usually up around 5:45 and take about 15 minutes to wake up and collect myself...on the bike by 6 and home anywhere from 6:25 - 6:45...quick shower and I'm on the road by 7/7:15 to work.

  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
    Exercising at night doesn't keep me up and helps me sleep better. I usually start a run between 7:30 and 9:30 pm. I prefer exercising in the evening, but I often exercise in the morning because my work schedule makes it difficult to attend classes in the evenings.
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
    I find if I exercise in the evenings I'm wired...but I'll do activity until 9/9:30. Trying to then go to bed right away is impossible and I'm up for a few hours.

    I'm not a person who enjoys morning exercise but I do enjoy getting it out of the way before I use all my energy doing daily things

    so I think you have to just try it and see what works for you
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Makes no difference. Get in what you need to accomplish your goal(s).
  • ShibaEars
    ShibaEars Posts: 3,928 Member
    edited June 2017
    It's definitely a personal choice. While I like the idea of working out first thing in the morning, I don't have the energy to have a really good workout. At this point in my life, exercising right after work (about 5:00pm) is what works best for me. I have a few hours between the gym & bedtime so I have no issues sleeping.

    I agree with above that you'll have to try it & see what's going to work best for you.
  • saery79
    saery79 Posts: 1 Member
    I like to workout after I finish work even if I finish at 9.30 pm . I'm home trainers on and get on with it. I Do a morning workout if I have a late shift or have the day off.. I fit it in where I can.. try both and see which you prefer and fits in with ur work / lifestyle
  • atjays
    atjays Posts: 797 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Makes no difference. Get in what you need to accomplish your goal(s).

    I like and agree with this. Anytime is a good time. It's up to you to determine where your workouts fit best in your daily routine. Personally I'll do things like jogging and cycling in the morning as I generally don't do those at night when it's dark. Other days where I may have slept in, I'll do treadmill and lifting after work to alleviate that post work energy burst I get and helps me wind down quickly once I get home.
  • rachmgunt
    rachmgunt Posts: 8 Member
    I used to work out at 5am. I recently switched to when I get off work. I have found that I have more energy later in the day and I'm more motivated. I guess because I'm more awake. If I know I won't have time in the afternoon, I switch back to morning. Also I recently saw an article or something that said it's a myth that working out before bed will disturb sleep. But yeah see what works for you, everyone is different
  • Mezzie1024
    Mezzie1024 Posts: 380 Member
    My gym is so crowded during the day that if I don't go late night or early morning it triples my gym time (not to mention it gives me rest periods that are entirely too long). Luckily, I'm generally an early morning person.
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
    I prefer mornings, I have a hard time sleeping if I workout at night, and if I get it done first thing it means that no matter what comes up during the day it won't affect my workout. In our household we are always in bed by 8, that doesn't me I fall asleep that early every time, but it's how we like to live, early to bed early to rise. Good luck! Do what works for you, but that's my 2 cents.

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