I've been doing an experiment in this Twitter Fitness Challenge. Well circumstances just so happened to turn what I was doing into an experiment. Last week I worked out every morning - as soon as I got up. That was hard. Beyond hard. My alarm clock and I are not friends. Every morning was a struggle to get myself up and drag my butt down to the treadmill. It didn't take me long to wake up once I started running and it did make me feel good for the rest of the day, but as I said - my alarm clock is a bitch. This week, I did things differently. I hit the treadmill every night as soon as I got home from work. The only thing it takes to make that happen is for me to eat a banana right before I leave the office. That way my stomach isn't grumbling and I'm still pumped from work. Doing it this way, I'm finding I have more energy to tackle a harder workout by exercising at night.
We're all different. We each have our own unique circadian system to deal with that either makes us a morning lark or a night owl. I'm still not sure which one I am because I do get unusually cheerful soon after I get up in the mornings. According to this study, women (older women, in this case) who exercised in the mornings got better sleep than those who exercised at night or only stretched in the mornings. They speculate it might have something to do with reinforcing our circadian system, getting us primed for the day.
On top of getting a better night's sleep, here's another reason working out in the morning might be a better option. It boosts your metabolism for the day. (Quote taken from Wicked Stepmom's post from yesterday): "Activity actually has an “after burn” effect—that is, it raises your metabolism for hours after you’ve stopped exercising. Once you step off the treadmill, cease digging in your garden, or return home from a walk in the park, the rate at which you burn calories remains higher than normal. Read more on Bob Greene’s secrets and his fitness tips."
Taking this all into consideration, morning workouts sound like the rational choice to make - if you are at liberty to make that choice. Despite my hate on for my alarm clock, I luckily have that choice.
I'm still not sure which is my best option - a morning or night workout. My own "scientific" investigations are incomplete, but I'd like to know - what works best for you? And why?
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6 comments:
I never could get myself to work out early in the mornings. I mostly do weightlifting, and I never feel like I have the strength or energy to adequately work out.
In the mornings, I haven't eaten anything for several hours, and I like to wait a while after eating before exercising. This makes it tricky to fit in breakfast and a workout before work.
On weekends, working out around 10 AM is fine, but early mornings just don't cut it.
I usually work out late in the afternoon or early evening. I don't like to work out too late at night.
I've read a lot of the benefits of early morning workouts and believe most of it, but it's not for me.
I'm going to add a poll to see when folks work out - I had thought about this am so it's cool you were thinking the same way!
My workout today:
Workout
Run - 18 mins
Pushups 45
Crunches 42
Incline Press
Lat pulldowns
By the way, my iPhone is working out too. I use it for the iPod and then I track my workout on the "notes" application and e-mail to my self.
I used to workout in the morning but with my traveling for work it helps me to do so in the evening and I end up sleeping better. But, mostly I just need to workout- whenever!!
Unfortunately, I forgot my swim suit today, so...
15 mins Run- Just over 1.5 miles
10 mins elliptical (forward)
10 mins elliptical (backwards)
Since I get to work early, I can get home with enough time to get in a workout before I start dinner. So, my workouts are usually in the afternoons.
Even though I consider myself a morning person, there's no way I could get up extra early to workout.
I work out with a personal trainer four times a week. Knowing me, I have done this for the past almost two years as it is the only way I know I will keep up with it. I meet with him in the morning after the kids are all at school. So, it is the am for me. I like this better, not only for the "after-burn" effect, but it also energizes me for the rest of the day and forces me to get going. The momentum lasts throughout the day.
Friday was a day spent mostly stretching. i am very flexible and it is hard for me to get a good stretch on. Trouble is during ski season, I get pretty tight and need to push the stretches. I also did 15 minutes on the cross trainer. I wish I didn't get so darned bored doing cardio.
Mornings, one day, will work better for me. For now, I can't drag myself out of bed early enough to get my walking in before Gretel wakes up. And I'm WAY too tired at the end of the day to think about walking on the treadmill.
So I am splitting the difference and get my cardio workout mid-day, while Gretel is napping.
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