Some people say that the best time to exercise to maintain physical fitness is in the morning, while others believe that working out in the afternoon or evening is much more effective. This often raises the question, what is actually the best and most appropriate time to exercise?
Well, basically, morning, afternoon, and evening can all be good options for getting the maximum benefits from exercise. That’s because exercising at these different times comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. So, instead of being confused, let’s take a look at the article below!
Morning Exercise Time
One of the best times to exercise is in the morning. Exercising right after you wake up can help you feel more energized to start the day, and you won’t have to worry about fitting in a workout later in the afternoon or evening.
Saleh & Yonas (2014) explain that people who exercise in the morning tend to do so more comfortably and effectively.
This is because the air in the morning is generally cleaner, with less vehicle pollution and higher oxygen levels. In addition, sunlight provides benefits through its vitamin D production.
In addition, there are several benefits of exercising in the morning that you can gain, such as:
- Helping build a more consistent exercise routine.
- Making the body feel more energized.
- Improving mood throughout the day because the body releases endorphins in the morning.
- Boosting productivity and maximizing work performance, since morning exercise helps improve concentration.
- Increasing the body’s metabolism, causing the body to burn more calories.
- Being more effective in improving sleep quality at night.
- Encouraging a healthier lifestyle.
- Accelerating weight loss.
However, there are also some drawbacks to working out in the morning, such as:
- Having to deal with hunger if you did not eat enough beforehand or do not have sufficient calorie intake.
- Potentially disrupting good sleep because you need to wake up very early, which can sometimes make you feel dizzy for a while after waking up.
- Physical performance may not yet be at its peak.
- Requiring more time for warming up.
Afternoon Exercise Time
If you do not really enjoy exercising in the morning, there’s no need to worry because the afternoon or evening after work can also be a good time to exercise. The benefits include:
- Exercise activities can be much more intense because strength and endurance in the afternoon tend to be higher than in the morning.
- Helping relieve stress and making the mind more relaxed after work.
- The body becomes more agile and responsive, making it suitable for high-speed or high-intensity exercise.
- The body’s muscles are in ideal condition because body temperature rises in the afternoon, naturally warming up the muscles.
- Energy usage is more effective compared to the morning because oxygen is absorbed more quickly in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, some drawbacks of exercising in the afternoon include:
- It can interfere with sleep or cause restlessness if the workout is done too close to bedtime, especially with intense exercises such as HIIT.
- Being less effective for building exercise consistency because you may feel too tired in the afternoon or evening.
Determining the Best Time to Exercise
If you ask when the best time to exercise is for the body, the truth is that there is no fixed rule.
This is because each person has different activities and needs, depending on factors such as individual health conditions, wake-up time, exercise intensity, meal timing, and many others.
For example, you may find that exercising at night helps improve your sleep quality, while for someone else it may have the opposite effect.
Therefore, it can be said that the best time to exercise to maintain physical fitness is whenever you are able to do it consistently.
If you have free time before going to work, then the morning may be the best option.
Likewise, if you only have free time at night, then that is the right time for you to exercise.
In addition, you also need to understand your health status or physical condition, as these should be important considerations.
For example, if you tend to have high blood sugar levels, exercising in the afternoon or evening may improve glycemic control, possibly due to timing related to circadian insulin resistance and the postprandial state.
Besides deciding on the best time to exercise, you should also pay attention to consistency when exercising.
This is the key to gaining the maximum benefits of exercise. To achieve this, try choosing a type of workout that you enjoy the most or find easy to do, so you can stay more motivated.
That’s the information about the best time to exercise for your body. After determining the most suitable time, try to make exercise a regular and consistent habit so you can achieve the results you expect. Aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes every day to improve your physical fitness.
In addition, balance your workouts by consuming healthy and nutritious foods and drinking enough water.
After exercising, your body loses a significant amount of fluids, so it is important to replace those fluids as soon as possible.
Don’t forget to choose a high-quality and healthy mineral water such as AQUA, whose purity has been maintained all the way to consumers for more than 49 years. So, make sure you avoid the effects of dehydration by drinking #AQUADULU every day!
