Whether working or at home, most people hit the dreaded afternoon slump around 3 p.m. A recent study of more than 90,000 people found that working out in the afternoon reduces the risk of heart disease or early death more than physical activity in either the morning or afternoon.
Think about your fitness goals. For example, if your goal is to boost your metabolism and start the day energized, morning workouts may be more suitable. If your aim is to improve performance and relax after a stressful day, evening workouts might be better. Consider your temperature preferences.
As per some researchers, exercising in the evening can help you achieve your weight loss goal faster than exercising in the morning. Muscle strength, flexibility, power output and endurance are all better in the evening than they are in the morning.
It's worth noting that any time you can commit to regular exercise is a good time, but early in the morning is considered to be the best to visit the gym. The most important aspect is establishing a consistent routine that fits your lifestyle and allows you to prioritize your health and fitness goals.
The truth is that exercising in a fasted state will indeed help you burn fat calories faster. You may see the number on the scale decrease. However, exercising on an empty stomach will also cause you to lose lean muscle mass at the same time, which can hinder long-term weight loss.
Overall, the experts agree: Exercising in the morning is the best time of day to work out for logistical, effective and health reasons. When it comes to weight loss, a 2023 study published in the journal Obesity found exercising between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. could help.
You don't want to overdo it and be tired for the remainder of the day, or worse, work out so hard that your gym performance suffers. As a general rule, your morning workout should be under 15 minutes and not loaded with reps.
When you work out too soon after eating, it may cause gastrointestinal (stomach) issues that affect your workout. General guidelines suggest exercising 1 to 2 hours after a small meal and 30 to 60 minutes after a snack to fuel your workout and prevent stomach problems.
Traditionally, experts have recommended not exercising at night as part of good sleep hygiene. However, a small study, published in Sports Medicine suggests that some people can exercise in the evening as long as they avoid vigorous activity for at least one hour before bedtime.
Researchers examined mice who exercised in the late morning. They found that fat and sugar were burned faster in these morning periods compared to later in the evening. This is a double-edged sword: on the one hand, a morning sweat session appears to burn off more fat and sugar, which can help your body lose weight.
According to research, winter is the right time to shed the extra kilos you have been crying over for days. Before we get into any further details of why the winter season is the best time to lose weight, let's understand the rudiments of how fat works in the human body.
Is there a "best" time to exercise? The question is still being debated, but an observational study suggests that early morning may be ideal when it comes to weight management. Researchers reviewed data from the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
There are also a number of studies that show the optimal time for weight training to be around the 45-60 minute mark, and for cardiovascular training to be around the 30-minute mark.
Morning people tend to be more alert and productive in the mornings, making the day shift a perfect fit for you. Conversely, night owls may perform better when the sun goes down and may be better suited for a night shift. The key is understanding your bodily clock and recognizing when you're at your best.
Eat after you exercise
Eat a meal that has both carbohydrates and protein in it within two hours of your workout if possible. Eating after you work out can help muscles recover and replace their glycogen stores. Think about having a snack if your meal is more than two hours away.
Morning exercise can help you make healthier choices.
That early morning sense of accomplishment can also help you have a healthier day. “When you get up and exercise, you establish a healthier mindset, which makes you more mindful of what you eat during the day,” she explains.
Researchers report that even though epidemiological evidence has been controversial over the optimal timing of physical activity for weight management, their findings suggest that exercising between 7–9 a.m. appears to be the best time of day to garner health benefits.
HIIT or interval training
Research shows that HIIT exercises for belly fat help control weight and improve your overall physical condition. These routines don't take a lot of time but still get your heart pumping and work your entire body.
Despite what you may have heard, there's nothing inherently wrong with working out at night. It's always better for your sleep to get some exercise rather than none at all, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). And for plenty of people, evenings are their only opportunity to break a sweat.