WHEN do you exercise?

cquick · February 2009

ok, this question has been bugging me forever...

when i started working out back in 2006, i always worked out in the morning after hydrating with a glass of water and a eating a handfull of nuts. if i had a secondary workout, i would leave it for the end of the day.

i've heard from several people working out right in the morning is not good for your heart, so i don't go full force right away, i work my way into it. others say that working out on an empty stomach is what you should do so you jump start the body into burning fat. some say you should eat and work out in the evening so you have protein and fuel readily available in your system.

quite honestly, i hate working out later in the day. last week, i worked out a couple of hours after lunch the entire week and felt like crap. i don't understand why? and whenever i have a secondary workout in the day after having a couple of meals, i feel super yucky.

i know i should listen to my body: it says "work out in the morning!"

anyone else have any issues with work out times?

cquick · February 2009

ok, this question has been bugging me forever...

when i started working out back in 2006, i always worked out in the morning after hydrating with a glass of water and a eating a handfull of nuts. if i had a secondary workout, i would leave it for the end of the day.

i've heard from several people working out right in the morning is not good for your heart, so i don't go full force right away, i work my way into it. others say that working out on an empty stomach is what you should do so you jump start the body into burning fat. some say you should eat and work out in the evening so you have protein and fuel readily available in your system.

quite honestly, i hate working out later in the day. last week, i worked out a couple of hours after lunch the entire week and felt like crap. i don't understand why? and whenever i have a secondary workout in the day after having a couple of meals, i feel super yucky.

i know i should listen to my body: it says "work out in the morning!"

anyone else have any issues with work out times?

helkat922 · February 2009

I think people should work at a time when it works for them. I personally prefer working out in the morning, but my husband hates working out in the morning and perfers to workout at night. I like to get up, work out then eat breakfast.... I have always done this since starting working out 10 years ago :happy:

Oh and I also find if I work out at night, I can find any excuse in the book not to do it. From working out in the morning, it also encourages me to eat healthy throughout the day!

nibor · February 2009

I find that working out in the morning is best for me. That way, I feel motivated and good that I'm done for the day and not fearing for the "do I have time" later in the day when all else just seems to happen. I work out while everyone is still in bed and I have my "alone" time.

cquick · February 2009

I think people should work at a time when it works for them. I personally prefer working out in the morning, but my husband hates working out in the morning and perfers to workout at night. I like to get up, work out then eat breakfast.... I have always done this since starting working out 10 years ago :happy:

Oh and I also find if I work out at night, I can find any excuse in the book not to do it. From working out in the morning, it also encourages me to eat healthy throughout the day!

i agree with the evening excuse! i'm the same way...plus, if you thing about it, if you work out in the morning, then do chores at night, you're still getting a calorie burn, right?

it makes me eat better through the day if i work out AM too...you don't want to waste all the early morning effort, right?

benw · February 2009

During the week I work out in the morning at a gym that my wife and I go to. When there I focus on weights. At lunch I go to a gym at work that has good cardio so I ride the bike or run on a treadmill. But if I feel I need a break I take it. I have been above my exercise goals for the past couple of weeks dropping a couple of pounds a week.

allaboutme · February 2009

I think you should work out when you feel like working out, not when someone tells you it is the right time to work out, how would they know, they aren't you? I do it when it is most convenient for me, morning noon or night, If I didn't work, my favorite time of day would be around 10 a.m. but that isn't practical for me, so usually ends up being after work. I tried the getting up at 5 a.m. thing, but couldn't do it, loved the fact I was done for the day and didn't have to plan around it, but, my butt just didn't agree with me dragging it out of bed that early :laugh:

Poison5119 · February 2009

To be perfectly frank, it's what works for your schedule, and changing it up a little from time to time is actually a good thing, because it keeps your body on 'red alert' because it never knows what to expect, so anything you can do to keep your body and chemistry in 'metabolic turbulence' mode is beneficial. I could work out in the morning, because my gym is right at work (I work in a hospital), but I'd have to drag a bag with my dress clothes in it, shower there, do my makeup, and it'd just be a real hassle, so I enjoy a leisurely morning, go to work, and do my workout afterwards.

The only thing your body knows is the difference between nighttime/sleeping mode, and daytime/awake mode. It does NOT know the difference between an AM workout and a PM workout. What matters is that it's done, period. People on the fence usually experiment til they find whats good for them...

MattySparky · February 2009

I dont know about you but my life is very busy, so my schedule dictates when I can work out for the most part. I manage to fit it in every day, and it's usually in the evening when my daughter goes to sleep.

Livi_Loves_Pink · February 2009

I agree with working out when it feels best for you. I can barely do anything in the mornings, and working out would be like a form of torture for me :laugh: (unless it's nothing more intense then walking). I've found that my choice times for working out are between 4 and 7 PM. Any later and I'm already getting too tired, any eariler I'm either too busy or too tired.

csnook2 · February 2009

I agree 100% with Helkat. Do what works for you, your body, and your schedule. My wife and I have done MOST of our workouts in the morning. Through the past few winter months that has been harder, and we tried to work out in the evening. Our intensity and amount of times exercising suffered tremendously, so we have now returned to working out first thing in the morning.
I think the jury is not completely in on benefits of timing for a workout. Doing cardio on an empty stomach, forces the body to resort to burning fat after all Glycogen reserves have been exhausted. I don't suggest circuit training on a completely empty stomach. You need some extra energy to get through strength training.

Everybody has an opinion, and well, we know how that saying goes! In the end, do what you feel is best for you!

Best,

Craig

TRLTAMPA · February 2009

I do both. I get in a good little cardio burst in the morning....get the blood moving. Then when I get home from work, I get on the bike and warm up before hitting the weights.

DMORTIFF · February 2009

i like my schedule now i get up at 5;30 eat breakfast go to work and workout during lunch i run, so i have a semi empty stomach. michael thurman has a 6 week fat burning plan you can look up. i do what feels good to me and try not to push too hard but i do push myself

briblue72 · February 2009

Whenever I can!!!

My body seems to love it no matter what time of day!

MrsTomy · February 2009

I like working out in the evening. Mostly because I have to get up at 5am...so in order to work out before that I would have to get up at 3:30 or 4 and I am sooooo not willing to do that!

menjivas · February 2009

Before the beginning of the year, I was an only morning work out person, but that changed because it got cold and I also hit a plateau. Now, I work out in the morning some days(mostly for strength training), others in the evening and sometimes during lunch. During the weekend, I usually run mid-day.

The best thing to do, after you've built a routine and know how many days you will go to the gym, is to mix it up. If you don't feel like working out in the morning that morning, then don't. Do it during lunch or the evening. It'll help keep your body guessing about the calories and when! Best of luck!

amymeenieminymo · February 2009

I used to work out in the morning when I went to a gym. I liked it, the gym was less crowded and I loved getting my workout done and over with. But I hated getting up extra early and going out in the dark and cold. Once I met my boyfriend, it was a lot harder to go. He'd snuggle up to me and say stay in bed with me.....of course being so cold and sleepy and not really wanting to go I'd give in and go back to sleep.

Also, my gym didn't open until 6, so I had to get there right at 6 or a few minutes after. I had enough time for about a 40 minute workout and then had to shower and get dressed and leave for work. So if I overslept by even 5 minutes it would throw off my whole schedule and would usually result in not being able to go.

The week I was on vacation I still worked out in the morning but I went later, like around 7 or 8. Letting me sleep in a little later was great and the gym was practically empty at that hour. It was so nice to not rush and be able to take my time, get a good work out, take my time in the shower and getting ready. I honestly think if I didn't have to work, I would be in the BEST shape of my life because I would feel so relaxed and I'd have so much time to do everything, haha.

Now I work out at home on my bike trainer. It is a little loud so I don't think I would feel comfortable using it in the morning, plus I don't think I could motivate myself to get out of bed to go work out in the living room. So like everyone has else said, work out when you feel it works best for you.

dolce33 · February 2009

I split up my workouts. I do 30 minutes on the treadmill when I get up in the morning. This way if my day gets crazy and I cant get to the gym at least I got some cardio in. My next workout is after work. I do another 20 min bike, weight train a body part, 10 min treadmill (to get my heart rate back up) and then finish up with weight training a different body part.

cquick · February 2009

I used to work out in the morning when I went to a gym. I liked it, the gym was less crowded and I loved getting my workout done and over with. But I hated getting up extra early and going out in the dark and cold. Once I met my boyfriend, it was a lot harder to go. He'd snuggle up to me and say stay in bed with me.....of course being so cold and sleepy and not really wanting to go I'd give in and go back to sleep.

The EXTRA early thing is hard for me too, and i blame it on my snuggly boyfriend! nice to see another person out there that hates getting up in the morning if it means giving up that warm, cozy feeling with your mate! :yawn: i thought we were the only ones! whew, now i feel a little better about staying in bed that extra half hour with my honey...:smooched:

too cute....:blushing:

cquick · February 2009

To be perfectly frank, it's what works for your schedule, and changing it up a little from time to time is actually a good thing, because it keeps your body on 'red alert' because it never knows what to expect, so anything you can do to keep your body and chemistry in 'metabolic turbulence' mode is beneficial. I could work out in the morning, because my gym is right at work (I work in a hospital), but I'd have to drag a bag with my dress clothes in it, shower there, do my makeup, and it'd just be a real hassle, so I enjoy a leisurely morning, go to work, and do my workout afterwards.

The only thing your body knows is the difference between nighttime/sleeping mode, and daytime/awake mode. It does NOT know the difference between an AM workout and a PM workout. What matters is that it's done, period. People on the fence usually experiment til they find whats good for them...

good point about the AM/PM workout!

it gets aggravating when people say: if you work out in the evening, all you're doing is burning off the stuff you ate during the day -or- you don't have enough fuel if you work out in the morning.

to me it's all relative...i agree with having enough fuel to get you through the workout, but if you eat the same amount of calories throughout the day, whether you work out AM or PM, you're still taking in the same amount of calories no matter what, right?

cquick · February 2009

it seems we have a pretty even AM/PM group here...

i'm definitely going to try a different work out schedule if i hit a plateau, never thought of that before!

thanks for the suggestion, never would've thunk it!

WHEN do you exercise?

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