Being fitness enthusiasts, we all want to know the best time to train. Is it morning, afternoon, or evening?
The answer isn’t simple because exercising in the morning, afternoon, or evening has its own benefits and disadvantages.
The best time of the day depends on various things, especially your lifestyle and fitness goals.
After exploring several research papers, Quora, and Reddit and doing live and online surveys, I’m going to share when is the best time to workout to achieve excellent results in this article.
Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle, or maintain your fitness, this article is worth reading and can help you choose the right time to train.
When is The Best Time to Workout?
Morning Workout
- Effective for Weight Loss: Exercising in the morning helps increase fat loss, improve cardiometabolic health, and improve body composition.1 Schumacher, Leah M et al. “Consistent Morning Exercise May Be Beneficial for Individuals With Obesity.” Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews vol. 48,4 (2020): 201-208. doi:10.1249/JES.0000000000000226, 2 Arciero, Paul J et al. “Morning Exercise Reduces Abdominal Fat and Blood Pressure in Women; Evening Exercise Increases Muscular Performance in Women and Lowers Blood Pressure in Men.” Frontiers in physiology vol. 13 893783. 31 May. 2022, doi:10.3389/fphys.2022.893783
- Keep You Energetic: 30 minutes of low-impact cardio in the morning helps you feel active throughout the day. Whenever I train just after waking up, I feel a different energy on those days, and this isn’t only my story; numerous people on Quora, Reddit, and Facebook have said the same thing.
- The psychological feeling of complement: Exercising first thing in the morning gives a sense that you’ve done the most important thing, and you don’t have to worry about doing it later in the day. It allows you to focus on your crucial things without worrying about having to exercise in the evening.
Evening Workout
- Effective for Strength and Hypertrophy: Training for strength and muscle growth requires intense effort and energy. And it is only possible if you have carbs and protein in your tank. Working out in the evening allows you to lift more and do high-intensity exercises more efficiently than training in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Increase Sleep Duration: Research has shown that people who exercise in the evening appear to sleep early and wake up late in the morning. Evening exercise helps increase sleep duration by 30 minutes more than the morning.3 Creasy, Seth A., et al. “Effect of Morning and Evening Exercise on Energy Balance: A Pilot Study.” Nutrients, vol. 14, no. 4, 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14040816.
- You’ll be able to Put in More Effort: If you train for more than an hour or perform high-intensity exercises, the evening can be a great time to hit the gym. In the evening, you have energy, you’ve done your day’s work, and you’re free to give your best in the gym before your dinner and sleep.
CONCLUSION
Training any time of the day is more important than not training at all. You can exercise when you feel more energetic. However, if you want to utilize your workout more efficiently and achieve better results over time, here’s a quick answer on what can be most effective time of the day to exercise.
| Exercise Type & Goal | Best Time to Workout |
|---|---|
| Weight Loss | Morning |
| Muscle Building | Afternoon and Evening |
| Strength Building | Afternoon and Evening |
| Low-impact Aerobic Training | Morning |
| Resistance Training | Afternoon and Evening |
| High-Intensity Training | Evening |
| Want to wake up Early | Morning |
| Increase Sleep Duration | Evening |
For morning people, exercising in the morning can be comfortable, interesting, and exciting; however, for others, it can be quite stressful. On the other hand, working out in the evening can be enjoyable, but doing it near bedtime may affect your sleeping pattern.
Most importantly, managing time for physical activity is really important. Whether you train in the morning, evening, or afternoon, exercising helps improve cardiovascular health, bolster muscles and joints, increase stamina and strength, improve body composition, enhance mood, increase longevity, boost self-confidence, and keep you energetic.
It is also crucial to nourish your body with the required nutrients to achieve your fitness goal and best shape.
References
- 1Schumacher, Leah M et al. “Consistent Morning Exercise May Be Beneficial for Individuals With Obesity.” Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews vol. 48,4 (2020): 201-208. doi:10.1249/JES.0000000000000226
- 2Arciero, Paul J et al. “Morning Exercise Reduces Abdominal Fat and Blood Pressure in Women; Evening Exercise Increases Muscular Performance in Women and Lowers Blood Pressure in Men.” Frontiers in physiology vol. 13 893783. 31 May. 2022, doi:10.3389/fphys.2022.893783
- 3Creasy, Seth A., et al. “Effect of Morning and Evening Exercise on Energy Balance: A Pilot Study.” Nutrients, vol. 14, no. 4, 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14040816.
