Debating the Ideal Time for Physical Exercise: Morning vs. Evening?
Morning Workouts vs. Evening Workouts: Finding Your Optimal Exercise Time
Morning workouts and evening workouts each have their unique benefits when it comes to health, stress management, and sleep quality. The key to finding the best time for you lies in understanding your own biological rhythms and lifestyle.
According to Daniel Glazer, clinical psychologist and co-founder of US Therapy Rooms, research on circadian rhythm offers intriguing insights about exercise timing. Morning workouts can boost feel-good endorphins due to the body's natural rise in temperature and heart rate during the circadian rhythm. This can help individuals feel alert and energized, kickstarting focus for the day ahead.
Exercising early in the day has been shown to lower cortisol levels throughout the day, a hormone associated with stress. A morning workout can help control stress by regulating the release of cortisol, making it easier to establish a fitness routine. Additionally, morning workouts can help establish a natural circadian rhythm, which is beneficial for regulating sleep schedules.
On the other hand, exercising in the evening can provide valuable stress relief and enhance relaxation, aiding sleep. For those who struggle with mood or motivation issues, morning workouts may reap the most benefits. However, for others, an evening workout might be more suitable, offering a healthy outlet to unwind worrying thoughts and relax tight muscles before bed.
It's essential to note that there is no absolute scientific consensus that morning or evening workouts are universally more beneficial. The optimal workout time depends significantly on an individual's chronotype (morningness or eveningness preference) and personal circumstances.
Research shows that a person's chronotype strongly influences how exercise timing affects sleep quality. Morning-type individuals tend to experience worse sleep if they exercise late in the day, while evening-types may tolerate or even benefit from later exercise better. Regular exercise improves overall sleep quality and addresses insomnia risks, but sleep quality itself is crucial for fitness gains; inadequate sleep can impair progress regardless of workout timing.
Fitness experts often favor morning workouts because they provide energy throughout the day, reduce the likelihood of skipping exercise, and typically do not interfere with sleep if done early enough. Some studies on performance measures like anaerobic power and blood lactate suggest that time of day can affect physical output, with individual variation playing a role.
In conclusion, matching exercise timing to one’s natural biological rhythms and ensuring workouts do not disrupt sleep seem most important. While morning workouts may benefit many by enhancing daily energy and preserving sleep quality, evening workouts can be effective and preferable for others depending on their chronotype and lifestyle. The consensus emphasizes personalization over a one-size-fits-all recommendation for morning versus evening exercise regarding health, stress management, and sleep outcomes.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6092940/ [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4540844/ [5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6037860/
