Fitness first: Morning vs evening workouts

Working out is essential to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but how do you decide when to work out? Our busy lives barely allow us time to hit the gym unless we have a set routine dedicated to exercise. So, should you make time for working out in the morning or in the evening? Here are some important deciding factors, as compiled from HuffPo, Make Your Body Work, Cosmopolitan and Body Building.



Metabolism and weight loss

Working out in the morning before eating a proper breakfast boosts your metabolism and helps you burn more calories for longer. This is because your body uses the stored fat to power the workout instead of the food consumed during the day. Eating something light, such as an apple, before working out is a great way to kick-start your metabolism. It revs up your system and burns calories of the meals consumed throughout the day, replenishing your body round the clock. Evening workouts do not burn the same number of calories because meals consumed during the day don’t contribute to the replenishment of the body. Thus, a morning workout provides greater weight loss as opposed to an evening one.

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Consistency

If you have established a routine, you need to stick to it. Morning workouts tend to be more consistent because you are less likely to bail due to work overload and other last minute events. The only thing to hinder your morning workout is your own laziness, which will take care of itself once you fall into a routine.

Sleep quality

Working out in the morning means waking up early, so by the time you get to bed, you’re ready for a relaxing sleep because you’re exhausted. A 2011 study showed that people who exercised at 7:00am found a 10 per cent drop in their blood pressure for the rest of the day and around 25 per cent during the night. They also slept longer and had better sleep cycles. On the other hand, working out in the evening may affect the quality of your sleep. Dr Cedric Bryant, PhD and chief science officer of the American Council of Exercise, said, “Your state of arousal is higher because you have higher circulating levels of stress hormones, which can make it more challenging to fall asleep.” But you can get some extra hours of sleep if you don’t have to wake up in the morning to work out.

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Overall mood

Exercising boosts endorphins and other mood-elevating hormones that make you happier, more energetic and mentally alert. If you work out in the morning, you’ll start your day feeling good, and if you work out in the evening, you can blow off steam and end the day on a good note.

Our verdict: Although exercising at any time is good for you, you are likely to reap more benefits if you establish a morning workout routine.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2015.

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