The Best Time to Exercise

The Benefits of Morning Workouts

Early risers enjoy their own list of wins from crushing their morning workouts. Ready to learn the perks?

1. A.M. workouts may keep stress at bay

You probably already know that exercise releases feel-good neurotransmitters known as endorphins. So when you take time to sweat in the morning, you’re basically setting your brain up to have a happy, positive day.

There’s also some evidence to suggest that said endorphins provide stress relief—something we all need in the age of Zoom meetings. So if you’re in for a mentally taxing day, squeezing in that morning workout is one way to look out for yourself.

2. Morning workouts may increase focus

“If working out in the morning is the first thing you do, you're getting that dopamine release that promotes productivity and concentration later on,” says Szylak. In the long run, working out can even help improve your memory, but today (right now), it could help boost your mood (and, by extension, your interest in the various tasks on your TDL).

3. Exercising in the morning may help you sleep at night

Some research suggests that logging your run, HIIT session, or strength training session in the morning can help reset your circadian rhythms (your internal clock). Putting in those early morning efforts will teach your body to be energized first thing in the morning, then slowly grow more sleepy as the day goes on.

4. Working out in the morning may help you stay consistent

Several studies have found that waking up and getting to work led to more consistent exercise adherence. And that kind of makes sense, right? As the day goes on, you may find your time getting pulled in all different directions. Maybe your boss pops a late work call on your Google Calendar or a friend reaches out to ask if you want to grab dinner—and just like that, all your gym plans go out the door.

Working out first thing is a really good way to make sure that nothing gets between you and the weight room.

The Benefits of Afternoon and Evening Workouts

1. You can go the extra mile… literally

You may notice that you naturally have more pep in your step when you program your workout for later in the day—and you’re onto something. Research indicates that it may take up to 20 percent longer to reach exhaustion in cardiovascular efforts when you work out later in the day. And thus, maybe that extra cycling push, rowing interval, or sprint feels a little bit easier.

Szylak points out that your nervous system is also more primed to work out in the evening because you’re fully awake and ready to go. “In the morning, we may not have the food and energy in our body to help us push through a higher intensity, higher resistance training workout,” he says. In other words, after 12:00 p.m., you’ll be able to push the limits of your training session more than you potentially could in the morning.

2. You may gain muscle more easily in the afternoon

There’s some evidence to suggest that the human body produces more testosterone in the afternoon, making it easier to build muscle and get stronger. So if gains are what you seek, you may find a bit of an edge by hitting the weight room after you’ve eaten lunch.

3. Nighttime exercise may help you decompress from work

Remember those endorphins? Well, if you work out in the evening, it means that hit of feel-good chemicals can cap off your day and dial down any lingering stress from your nine to five. Whether you go for a jog or roll out your yoga mat for a sweaty vinyasa class, you’ll create some much-needed distance from your office mindset.

A Trainer’s Easy Tip for Identifying What Time of Day to Workout

In short, there are compelling reasons to work out in the morning or the afternoon/evening—but here’s the thing: Ultimately, Szylak says the best time of day to work out is the time that fits into your habits and lifestyle—and there’s an easy trick for identifying that sweet spot.

Szylak recommends thinking about your sleep schedule, then working backward to identify which time of day has some space for exercise. For example, if you tend to start work on the later side (let’s say 10:30 a.m.), but work late into the night, maybe your workout starts around 8:30 when you have started work yet, but you also aren’t depriving yourself of rest. Conversely, if you love to wake up early and get a jump start on your work, maybe late afternoon workouts are more your speed. 

If you’re working with a flexible schedule, perhaps you can choose which time slot offers the benefits you want. So if you’re marathon training,  you could decide to plug your workouts into an afternoon slot so you can take full advantage of your boosted testosterone levels. In short: The move is to choose the workout time that works for you. 

Consider this the golden rule of working out.