morning or evening workouts-what works best for you and why?

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  • drdebbiejo
    drdebbiejo Posts: 9
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    I usually work out mornings while the wee ones are sleeping. I usually do a few minutes of housework first just to warm things up before launching in to the workout. By planning early, if I miss it, I still have the possibility of an evening workout. I hear afternoons are best but my hours are too long and there are no fitness facilities at the hospital (they say it's "too risky", irony of ironies). I definitely have a better day if I work out early anyway.
  • jboccio90
    jboccio90 Posts: 644 Member
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    I have found working out earlier is better for me.
    When evening rolls around I am often to tired to.
  • ahelgers10
    ahelgers10 Posts: 376 Member
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    I work out in the morning. I don't like getting up early but then there isn't any one bothering me. My kids are in bed so they aren't dnacing around me, my husband is usually still in bed not distracting me and the dog is still in her kennel. It gets my day going and before I get to work I feel like I am a step ahead of everyone.
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member
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    I hate getting out of bed, but I usually workout in the mornings. I prefer morning workouts as I then have the evenings free. Its also a lot quieter in the mornings, which is great, and sets me up for the day. I also do pole classes some evenings, so it means I always get my lifts in and dont end up doing too much.
  • DeeVanderbles
    DeeVanderbles Posts: 589 Member
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    I prefer to work out around 8pm. It's halfway between dinner and bed. I seem to have the most ambition to do my workout at that time.

    That being said, I do like working out in the morning before work because it gives me more time to spend with my family in the evenings and I tried for 2 weeks working out in the mornings I just really prefer to do it at night.

    I would like to get myself into the habit and prefer to work out in the morning. It makes the most sense to me. One shower per day instead of two, get the energy flowing before work, etc.
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 637 Member
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    I'm not a morning person but workout in the mornings so my evenings are free. I just go to bed earlier and it's not a problem to get up.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,704 Member
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    I split my lifting and cardio to the morning and evening, so I do both. Personally for me, it's more effective this way because of time constraints.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • melb2003
    melb2003 Posts: 198
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    I like working out right after work. I feel like I get a surge of energy after I get out, I go to the gym and burn it off.
  • FitBunnyEm
    FitBunnyEm Posts: 320
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    Morning everyone!

    For the last 2 weeks, I have been doing Insanity in the afternoons with a friend and she wanted to try working out in the mornings. So today was the first one at 5 am.

    Question for everyone is-When do you workout and what are the benefits/cons for each?
    morning works best for me as i have the most energy...i walk my dog then go gym then work, then home and an extra long doggy walk...then rest AHHHH...how did u find the morning workout??? xx
  • PrfctGdess
    PrfctGdess Posts: 257
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    Usually though it all depends on my kids sometimes. Whenever I can workout without them is best for me.

    LOL Ditto here!! Lately I've been running in the a.m. before DH goes to work, but if that doesn't happen then it's usually at nap time, around 1-2pm. I've thought about night workouts, but I'm worried it'll make me too hyped up to sleep well.
  • joec63
    joec63 Posts: 56 Member
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    I've tried mornings and evenings after work. Definetly get a better workout first thing in the AM to start my day. Done P90X and Insanity several times. Now onto Body Beast. I make it a priority to workout early and have no excuses or conflicts at the end of the day on why I couldn't get it in. Plus I'm pumped all day from the morning workout.
  • Elen_Sia
    Elen_Sia Posts: 638 Member
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    Evenings because gawd, I'd much rather sleep in the wee hours of the morning.
  • chaNyn613
    chaNyn613 Posts: 112 Member
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    I'm a morning person regardless of my workout schedule so working out at 5:30 am suits me. The benefits to early morning w/o: people tend to talk less and workout more, rarely have to wait for my equipment, I make better food choices and I go to work with a relaxed attitude. Working out in the evening= trouble falling asleep because I still pumped from my workout.
  • pixelberry
    pixelberry Posts: 167 Member
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    I try to get my cycling in during the early morning hours. The trail I ride gets quite busy after the sun comes up, so I'm generally trying to beat the crowding. I do weight lifting in the late mornings or early afternoons.
  • jackflak
    jackflak Posts: 153 Member
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    FitbunnyEm

    I usually worked out in the afternoon's after work. It's hot in the garage-I get a great sweat. So this morning when we worked out it wasn't hot-but I still found that I sweat pretty good.

    I am dragging a little bit though...but not sure if that was from poor sleep or what.

    I'm going to keep doing my Insanity workouts in the morning and then when I come home from work do some running on the hamster wheel.
  • mellabyte
    mellabyte Posts: 193 Member
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    I used to work out in the mornings - I'd get up at 4:45am to make it to the gym by 5:30am... That was _rough_ but I liked it because it energized me for the day and I got all that being sweaty and stinky stuff out of the way in the morning. Also, no one is ever in the gym that early. So you have your run of the place and don't have to deal with the usual gym-peeves. (Assuming you go to a gym-like facility.) But that was also when I worked 8 hour days... So I didn't have to be at work until 8 or 9am, so I could leave by 4;30-5:30pm - not so late that I felt like I had no evening to get anything done or do anything.

    Now I work 9 hour days so I can get a 3 day weekend every other week. My choice, of course, so I have to deal with the consequences. ^_^ This means I wake up at 5am to make it to work by 6:30-7am, so I can leave by 4-4:30pm. So now I switched my workouts to evenings/nights. I've found that I'm still just as energized - because when it comes down to it - I'm still being active and that's what was keeping my energy levels up.

    It's had me change a bit how I plan my meals though. When I worked out in the morning - I had my entire calorie deficit before me before the day started...easy-peasy. On the days I do Kung Fu - I eat dinner after - so that's not so tricky - I usually plan to have a bigger lunch and/or breakfast on those days or more filling snacks and can keep a light dinner. On my other work out days, I workout after dinner. So I have to make sure I plan good post workout snacks or plan a more calorie-dense (but not heavy-feeling) dinner. It's only more complicated when I workout after dinner I guess because I've noticed the intensities of my work outs vary more during that time. o_Oa
  • 20shan08
    20shan08 Posts: 219 Member
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    I do 30 day shred in the mornings, 4:30am, before I get ready for work. Gives me energy and makes me feel great during the day. And then I do my elliptical after my daughter goes to sleep at night.
  • TriThreat
    TriThreat Posts: 313
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    WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD :

    morning workouts - help jumpstart your metabolism, you burn more calories throughout the day, and it can boost your energy level. (cons - you don't have a high energy store to pull from just yet, by the end of the day your metabolism will have slowed down and won't combat the "dinner calories")

    evening workouts - testosterone level is higher at night to help build muscle, boosts metabolism to burn calories throughout the night, body has more time to recover since you go to bed shortly after. (cons - you may get "hyped up" and have trouble sleeping)

    again, this is all subjective, and what people have told me, but I think it really does just become a personal preference :smile:

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