I’m wondering how many of us are morning workout people and how many of us are afternoon/evening exercise people? I’m mostly an afternoon/evening person except on the weekends when I can sleep in a little and head out around 8 or 9 am. Working out in the morning during my work week would mean getting out of the house by 6 am, and I really can’t see that happening. So I opt for a jog when I get home or a 6 pm yoga class. But all-too-often, I opt to head straight home to my couch and skip the workout all together. I’m making a concerted effort to work out 3-4 days a week, but I’m happy if I get the 3 days in.
Working out in the morning has a few benefits. First, you get your exercise over with right away and can enjoy the rest of your day without dwelling on it all day long. Second, a good workout followed by a healthy breakfast is thought to jumpstart your metabolism, helping you burn more calories throughout the day.
But working out in the afternoon can be a good tension-reliever that will help you sleep better. And it might keep you from snacking from the time you leave work to the time you go to bed. I looked online to see what the experts say and an overwhelming majority of the sites I went to and expert opinions I read said that what matters the most is finding the time of day and type of exercise that you will stick to and do consistently. That’s what matters the most. Don’t try to work out in the morning if you’re not a morning person. And don’t say you’ll work out after work if you never do. Find something that works best for your life.
So are you a morning or an evening exerciser? And more importantly, how do you make yourself get up in the morning or make yourself work out in the evening after a long day at work? Leave your comments in Feedback.
— Hannah
Print | posted on Monday, September 22, 2008 4:39 PM