Is exercising in the morning better for you?

1. 60

   katyroshposted 13 years ago

   Is exercising in the morning better for you?

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2. 61

   FitnessMarkLorieposted 13 years ago

   This is actually a good question, there are benefits to both sides, but I would generally suggest the morning.  The reason for this is simple.  My workouts, are geared at boosting my metabolism, so by working out in the morning, my fat-burning furnace is in high gear all day long.
   
   You could still work out later in the day, but if you are doing interval or tabata style training like I do, if it is less than three hours before bed time, you may have trouble sleeping, as your body will be primed from the workout.  Sleeping problems one night may cause a lack of motivation the next.  Additionally, getting your workout done early in the morning allows you to get that box checked off to feel accomplishment the rest of the day.

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3. 77

   Rob Wintersposted 13 years ago

   Well that depends.Some people prefer to exercise in the evenings,some in the mornings and yet others in the afternoon but your body does tend to become accustommed to exercising at particular times.People who always exercise in the evening would probably perform less well if they suddenly changed to a morning workout.The key is to pick a time you can stick to.There's probably little reason to choose to exercise in the morning if you are more of a nightime person and find mornings difficult, meaning you are less likely to persevere.With persistence i believe you could achieve this but there is a greater probability of you desisting in your efforts before you make much progress or form new habits.
   
   Exercising in the morning does have some advantages.Firstly, getting your exercise out of the way early in the day can be psychologically freeing as you will feel good about yourself for the rest of the day and will not have the burden of exercising hanging over you throughout the day and the increased chance of making some excuse at some point throughout the day.Exercising early can also help encourage people to stick to good eating habits throughout the day for fear of undoing their earlier good work (morning exercise).The converse can also sometimes occur when people make poor eating choices early in the day and then proceed to write off the remainder of the day both in terms of diet and exercise " ah, i'll start tommorrow!!".
   
   If your primary goal is weight loss then exercising (cardio) on an empty stomach first thing in the morning can be a particularly effective way to burn fat as your body is forced to more readily turn straight to your fat stores (as opposed to the foods you've consumed throughout the day) for energy.
   
   If you're lifting weights or doing some form of resistance training then people often find they perform better later in the day after having a number of meals.
   
   Depending on your goals and the type of training you are doing should help dictate which time is best but doing exercise is better than not, therefore it's best to pick a time that works for you and that you can stick to.

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4. 68

   Mickmcposted 13 years ago

   Hi Katyrosh, great question... great timing too, I just published a hub on this topic this morning!
   
   In summary, exercising in the morning can increase your metabolism (i.e. you will burn more calories over the day, even when you are not exercising). This may be good if you are trying to lose or maintain weight. However, people who are trying to lose weight often don't realize that research has consistently shown people tend to automatically increase the amount of calories they eat when they have done exercise. So the increased metabolism rationale only holds true for weight loss if you are regulating the type (and perhaps more importantly the portion size) of food you eat for the remainder of the day... otherwise the extra calories you burn will be offset by the extra calories you eat!
   
   However, people who exercise in the morning are more likely to exercise regularly.  For me, this alone is enough reason to exercise in the morning. I want to set up my exercise routine for success, it is easier for me to get sidetracked with other things in the afternoon.
   
   People who exercise in the morning also report feeling like they have more energy for the rest of the day, and sleep better at night. Other health benefits of exercise will come to us no matter what time of day we exercise. The most important thing is to actually make sure we do it!
   
   Here is the link to that hub if anyone is interested:
   http://mickmc.hubpages.com/hub/Is-it-be … -afternoon

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5. 56

   shorty72posted 13 years ago

   I personally think that if you have the time to do it no matter what time of day it is, as long as you are excercising and eating the right  food it is good for you.

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6. 61

   Jester98posted 13 years ago

   It all comes down to what is best for you? For me working out in the morning is best. You can burn more calories and it gets me revved up for the rest of the day. Plus you just get it out of the way from the start. I try to work out at night sometimes after I put the kids to bed, but by them I am so beat!

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