What Is the Best Time of Day to Work Out for You?
February 26, 2012 by Jenn
Is the best time of day to workout for you the morning, afternoon or evening? Credit: lululemon athletica
Readers ask us all the time, “What is the best time of day to work out?” And, to be honest, the best time of day to work out is the time that you’ll actually do it and enjoy it. For me, that’s at the butt crack of dawn, but I know I am not in the majority. And that makes sense—we’re all different and need to do things our own way and on our own schedules! So we thought it would be interesting to take a little informal poll on the subject. Are you a morning, afternoon or evening exerciser?
Can’t see the poll? Click here to tell us what’s the best time of day to work out for you.
Please tell us more about your best time of day to work out in the comments. We love hearing about how you fit workouts in your lives! —Jenn
I honestly have time in the morning BUT choose to wait until I get home to work out. Mainly I wait thinking I will have time after work to run outside; but 9 times out of 10 I’m on the treadmill! I started getting up at 5 am to run and workout an now I can’t get my booty off the couch… I really like to watch the news and drink my coffee in peace before the rest of the house sleeps, it’s my only quiet time…
I usually do an am and a pm workout but this winter hit me hard and I have opted for extra sleep in the mornings which is vital for recovery of muscles. Once spring breaks, it will be back to morning and evening workouts.
I get up at 2:30 am to be in the gym for 4 am.
I cannot just get up and go. I need my coffee and take my supplements first thing.
The only drawback about getting up so early is that I have to go to bed no later than 8 pm.
I’m a “morning” exerciser. (“morning” because I’m also a student, so a lot of the time morning = before noon) Usually I have quite hectic, tiring days after I do leave the house, and my schedule is so unpredictable that I often end up doing something unplanned in the evenings, so working out then is hard to get around to doing. Also, even if I am home, when I’m tired after a long day exercising drives me into exhaustion on a “physical collapse/throw up” level. But in the morning, working out wakes me up and gets my endorphins flowing for the day ahead, which is just what the doctor ordered.
I like to work out in the am, I find that if I wait until the afternoon I am much more likely to skip the workout altogether