The Best Time to Exercise

Page Updated on July 28, 2007

When is the best time to exercise? The answer is simple. The best time to exercise is whenever it is best for you.

Early Birds If you feel pumped up and ready to go in the morning, that's the best time for you.

Not a Morning Person If it takes you awhile to get going, and you just aren't very functional until the afternoon, the best time for you is in the afternoon.

Night Owls If you feel best at night, evening is the best time for you, but you may want to consider not exercising within two hours of going to bed to avoid insomnia.

But what about... All of those articles you read about "blah blah blah is the perfect time to exercise" are based on studies of groups of people, or sometimes they're only based on somebody's opinion of what the best time is according to some theory. Remember, they do not reflect your own personal internal clock, energy levels, schedules, etc.

Exercise in the morning is great if it energizes you for the day, and it's a good way for procrastinators to get the workout over with, but it's a bad idea if it wears you out for the day or if it just doesn't wake you up enough to keep you from injuring yourself.

Exercise in the afternoon is great if you have lots of energy in the afternoon and can perform your best at this time, but it's a bad idea if you feel tired in the afternoon and probably need a nap rather than a workout (try a morning workout instead).

Exercise in the evening is great if you feel your best in the evening, and it can help get rid of those stress chemicals in your body that have built up during the day, but it's a bad idea if you're just exhausted at the end of the day and really should be doing some other relaxing activity or if it tends to keep you awake when you should be sleeping.

The Key Point to Keep in Mind If you are sleepy, tired, exhausted, etc. you won't perform at your best, making for a lousy workout and potential for injury. During those times, do an light, easy workout instead.

But, I'm Tired All the Time Try doing a gentle morning workout, and keep a log of how it makes you feel. The next day try an afternoon workout, and record your feelings about that one as well. The following day, do an evening workout. Working out during one of these times will probably boost your energy during the rest of the day. You just need to figure out which time will give you that boost.