Choose The Right Time Of Day To Train

Exercise is one of the healthiest things you can do. However, choosing the right time of day to exercise depends on your individual goals. For example, those who want to lose weight can not exercise at the same time as someone who is working to gain muscle mass or increase their anaerobic resistance. The results will never be the same.

Although many people adapt their training plan to accessibility, this is not always the right thing to do.

There are many parameters that help you determine when you should or should not expose your body to physical activity. Just as there are sleep and hormone cycles, there are also cycles for exercise.

As many experts have confirmed, the biological sleep rhythm and hours we are awake (our internal clock) are determined by the sun, which also controls our ability to exercise physically.

Because of this, athletes should first look at the internal clock and how it affects performance, speed and strength.

What is the right time of day to exercise?

Those who usually exercise lightly to moderately can do so at any time of the day, as long as they are in good health and doing nothing in excess. However, it is important to keep the following in mind.

Pros and cons of exercising in the morning

In the morning, body temperature is at its lowest, so energy and blood flow are reduced. The cold, along with the stiffness of our muscles, increases the risk of fractures or injuries.

Recent studies indicate that morning workouts compromise our immune system  and increase the possibility of bacterial or viral infections.

On the other hand, exercise at the beginning of the day creates consistency and forces you to rest properly. However, you need to warm up more intensely due to the hours of inactivity while you sleep.

Benefits of exercising in the afternoon

Between 16:00 and 17:00 in the afternoon, our lungs work best. Our muscles become more flexible, the intensity is greater, our performance improves and we can more easily release stress.

Body temperature and hormones reach their highest peak at 16.00 in the afternoon. This means that our body responds better to demanding training at this time. Exercising between 15:00 and 17:00 in the afternoon also helps to regulate the digestion of food.

Be careful to exercise late at night

Exercise generates adrenaline. Doing so at night can lead to insomnia and difficulty controlling your heart rhythm. Ideally, you should exercise at least 2 hours before going to bed.

Why should you choose a time of day to exercise?

To achieve the goals you have set for yourself, you need to know how to choose the right time of day to exercise. Depending on what you want to achieve, you can choose the following ways:

Burn calories

For those who want to burn calories and lose weight, it is recommended to exercise in the afternoon. This is when the metabolism begins to slow down. The colder the environment you work out in, the more calories you will burn.

Increase aerobic resistance

Do you want to increase your aerobic resistance? This is the biological ability to make a comprehensive effort with medium or low intensity. Your results will be the same, no matter when you choose to exercise.

Increase anaerobic resistance

Increasing anaerobic resistance, in other words becoming more flexible, stronger, more powerful and faster, means doing activities with short duration and high intensity.

It is best to exercise after 18:00 in the afternoon, and even in the evening for these resistance exercises.

Athletes tend to train at the same time as their competitors to monitor their performance.

Build muscle mass

If you want to build muscle mass, your hormones will be most useful for gaining muscle if you exercise early in the morning or later in the evening.

Right time of day to exercise: Every body is different

Although there are many general suggestions, it is important to remember that each body is different and that stimuli are not the same.

Calculating your body temperature, according to circadian cycles, is a way to determine what is the right time of day to exercise for you.

To do this, you need to keep an eye on your body for five or six consecutive days (with temperature measurements every hour) to establish an average. You can exercise three hours before or three hours after the time when the temperature is highest.

If this is too complicated and you simply just want to keep your body healthy, there are some other options as well.

In addition to undergoing strict routines, it is enough to exercise for only 30 minutes a day.