When do you Workout?

July 30, 2008 14:14 by Rachel

     Right now it is almost 10pm and I just finished a great workout and shower.  I love to workout in the evening.  It helps me sweat out all of the stress of the day and it is also when I feel the most motivated.  I can put my headphones on and not have to worry about the kids since they are in bed and my husband can attend to them if needed.  Also, as funny as it sounds, I fall asleep so much easier after a hard workout and shower.  So, I just find I get the best results in the evening.

     However, I have read so many places that if you want to get the most bang for your buck you should workout in the morning.  They list benefits like boosting your metabolism for the day, giving you energy, etc.  I in fact had switched my workouts at one point in my lift to mornings because of these benefits.  I thought I would give it a shot and see if I noticed a difference. 

     First off I had a horrible time getting myself motivated to get up.  It is funny I used to work a job that I had to get up for at 5am and I never had a problem getting out of bed.  I never hit snooze or anything I just got up and got going.  I knew it was something I had to do.  However, when it came to working out I knew it wasn’t something I “had” to do.  Yes it is great for my body but when my alarm would go off in the early morning hours I would shut it off in my groggy state and say I will workout later.

     Then, if I did manage to get myself up I always felt like I wasn’t able to push myself hard enough.  It was like my body was still trying to wake up and I never felt fully functional till the end of my workout.   

     The last thing I noticed was that right after my workout I would feel pretty energized, but then part way through the day I would get really tired.  It was almost as if I needed the extra sleep in the morning to give me energy rather than the workout.  

     Anyway, I just found that in my personal case I really feel I benefit from my workouts the most when I do them in the evening.  When do you work out and why?


Currently rated 3.0 by 1 people

  • Currently 3/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Tags: , , ,
Categories: Physical Fitness
Actions: E-mail | Permalink | Comments (11) | Comment RSSRSS comment feed

Related posts

Comments

July 30. 2008 14:23

Metroknow

Great post - for me, I am inclined to try to exercise in the evening, but I find it too easy to procrastinate. So I try to do it first thing, and then supplement it later in the evening if I'm inclined...At the very least I get that first workout! Smile

Metroknow

July 30. 2008 14:30

Doris

I like to workout in the morning! It starts my day with a good energy burst and I am able to use that energy all day.

Doris
http://fitfabulousforty.blogspot.com/

Doris

July 31. 2008 00:38

blogversary

I workout when I can. Most days in the morning, but doing it at all is better than not at all. I think the difference between morning and evening isn't that big.

blogversary

July 31. 2008 01:26

Tina

I work out at night. I wish I had the time to exercise in the morning but with 6 kids, )three being triplets) it is just not possible for me. I think you are right it is most beneficial to workout in the morning.

Tina

July 31. 2008 01:43

Mark Salinas

I work out in the am. If the evening works for you, great!

Mark Salinas

July 31. 2008 03:19

John

"Right now it is almost 10pm and I just finished a great workout and shower."

Wow, we are total opposites. I definitely do much better working out at 6 a.m. as opposed to 6 p.m. Amazing how our bodies have such different internal clocks.

John

July 31. 2008 04:53

Rachel

I had a feeling I might be in the minority with evening workouts! Smile

Rachel

July 31. 2008 05:06

Lance

I workout when I can. For a while, I did evening workouts after the kids went to bed. Then I tried getting up early (it can be tough!). Right now, I kind of do it whenever I can fit it in. Sometimes it's early mornings, other times it's 8:30 at night. I think you best off to do what works for you, because that's what you're more likely to stick with.

Lance

July 31. 2008 05:55

JoeGirl

Great blog, Rachel!

I am a morning workout Mama. I try to get to the gym before 9:30am, after boys are at school and daycare. Doing so starts my day off with ME time, saves me water at home by showering at the gym(!), and keeps me revved up all day.

I couldn't bear the thought of working out in the evening. Ugh... I'd just be too wound up to sleep.

JoeGirl

July 31. 2008 07:06

dcpatton

I once read an article about a study that show the optimal cardio performance was around 5pm for most people. They recommended exercising during that hour. Of course in the summer the ozone levels peak at 5pm too. Regardless, I think you should exercise at the time of day that works the best for you. Because it is probably more important to make exercise enjoyable than to worry about when you do it.

dcpatton

July 31. 2008 08:34

Rachel

Lance - I totally agree that getting a workout in no matter when is better then no workout at all. Smile

JoeGirl - Thanks for checking out my blog. I think I could get used to working out in the moring if it was later in the morning. But right now with two little ones at home it makes it a lot harder!

dcpatton - That is an interesting article you read about working out at 5pm for optimal cardio. If you ever run across it again send it my way.

Rachel

Add comment


(Will show your Gravatar icon)  

  Country flag

[b][/b] - [i][/i] - [u][/u]- [quote][/quote]



Live preview

January 7. 2009 01:06