I've heard before that the best time to workout is 11 a.m. because by then you (should be) at your peak awake-ness, it's before the burdens of your day set in, and you're overall just more able to get a good workout. For all the people that are able to workout at 11 a.m., power to them, but the average working person can probably not accommodate that time for a workout.
But maybe 11 a.m. isn't the only option. Does time-of-day really affect your workout?
According to this expert from the Diet Channel, late afternoon is when your muscles performed best as they have had the opportunity to loosen up and warm up. Late afternoon is also the perfect time to relieve stress.
Some people prefer to workout early in the morning before work and school, because they feel as though it gives them extra energy and boosts their metabolism for the whole day. I know that I am not one of those people. I've tried working out in the morning, and even after I get into the groove of it where I am going for a few weeks, I find that generally, by the end of the day I am more exhausted, and the waking up earlier part isn't fun either.
By working out at the end of the day, you can shake off all the stress of the day, and get a more relaxing sleep after a good workout (well, some people say it keeps them from sleeping too).
There really is no "best" time of the day to workout for everyone-it all depends on you and your individual body. Like I said, I know working out in the morning doesn't really work for me, but for others it might be just the trick. The key is working out and working out consistently, no matter what time.
What do YOU think? What is the best time of day for your own workouts?
posted @ Sunday, July 25, 2010 9:29 AM