Do you workout before or after work?

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katherines2230
katherines2230 Posts: 276 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
This morning I took some time to evauate some things regarding my workout routine. For the last 5-6 weeks I've been going to the gym 5 days a week(3 days strength training, 2 days cardio). I work 12 hour night shifts so that means going straight after I get off work b/c I was unsure of being able to make it before work. During this mornings workout I felt like I was just going through the motions and not getting an effective workout because I was so dang tired. Its been getting progessivly worse over the last 2 weeks because I'm not able to get to sleep for a good 2-3 hours after leaving the gym which leaves very little time for sleep before my next shift. So I was thinking that maybe I on the days I work I should just go straight home from work, sleep, then leave 2-3 hours early to workout then go straight to work. I'm still a little unsure about this because I feel like it would be more tempting for me to skip a workout. What do you think?

Replies

  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    I try to workout in the morning. So nice to get it done and over with for the day. There's never the "I should work out but I don't wanna" thoughts since I just get up and do it. But sometimes I am just too tired and skip or put it off for later.
  • Run4UrHealth
    Run4UrHealth Posts: 348 Member
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    I tried to work out last Saturday morning and had a horrible work-out I had NO
    energy. I do sooo much better after I eat dinner....I go to the gym from 7-8. You just need to try to find what is best for you.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    I workout in the morning because it fits better into my routine (not much time in the evening) and also because it means that I am much more energetic for the day ahead.
    I get my workout gear all ready to go the night before and get dressed as soon as I'm up. That way I'm ready to go and am much less likely to skip it.
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
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    After work. The person (or alarm clock) that tries to wake me up one minute before I have to is liable to get shot.
  • katherines2230
    katherines2230 Posts: 276 Member
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    I guess I'm going to have to at least TRY it because what I'm doing now isn't working. On my off days I wake up at 630 in the morning, most times without an alarm clock and go work out without a problem. So I guess it would still essentially be the same if I went before work since I'm a night shifter?
  • katherines2230
    katherines2230 Posts: 276 Member
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    After work. The person (or alarm clock) that tries to wake me up one minute before I have to is liable to get shot.


    :laugh:
  • InaWarZone
    InaWarZone Posts: 35
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    For those who have a primary goal of body fat reduction, exercising in the morning in a fasted state has been shown to result in the greatest amount of fat utilization.Glucose levels are usually the lowest in the morning, which means insulin levels are low, so fat utilization is higher. For those who exercise first-thing in the morning, waiting to eat until after exercise can be a great way to stimulate an increase in fat burning. Again, this is for those looking to shed body fat. Doing a high-intensity strength training or Boot Camp style workout without eating first could result in a big drop in performance.

    The above is cut from the link below. Really made me re-think my workout plan.

    I also work 12 hour shifts, 6-7 days a week so I hear you. I like to work out after (not a morning person) but am going to change to before work after reading this article.

    Also remember back a million years ago in basic training we exercised before dawn. Ate anything and everything I could and still lost 3 pounds a week back then. hmmm

    http://lifetime-weightloss.com/blog/2010/8/19/making-the-body-a-better-fat-burner-pre-and-post-exercise-nu.html

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