The Best Time to Exercise

Do your late nights keep you away from exercise???

‘I don’t exercise ‘cause I don’t have time in the morning’ this cliché excuse for being inactive will not work anymore. Studies have proved that morning might not be the best time to exercise.

It is the influence of circadian rhythms on body temperatures which affects the quality of a workout. The circadian rhythms are the light and dark cycles that our bodies follow. These originate in the hypothalamus in the brain and regulate everything – from body temperature, metabolism to blood pressure. However, their influence on body temperature is probably the most important controlling factor on the quality of workout.

When body temperature is at its highest (considering normal state), the workouts are likely to be more productive as against the workout done when the body temperature is low. Body temperature is at its lowest about one to three hours before waking up in the morning, in contrast to late afternoon when the body temperature reaches its peak. Hence it makes more sense to exercise later in the day when muscles are warm and more flexible, perceived exertion is low, reaction time is quicker, strength is at its peak, and resting heart rate and blood pressure are low. No wonder maximum Olympic records have been made between 4.00pm to 7.00 pm.

Other advantages of working out later in the day include regulating the amount of food you feel like eating for dinner and most importantly stress relief after the hard day at work/ school/ home. This is due to the release of feel good or happy hormones – endorphins and encephalin.

However, the other side of the coin is the research done on ‘exercise as habit’ which shows that the people who exercise in the morning are more successful in sticking to it. Other plus points of working out in the morning are – fewer distractions and schedule interruptions, it raises your heart rate and metabolism to burn more calories earlier in the day, gives a feeling of physical energy for hours, keeps you alert for hours and best time environmentally (minimum pollution and cool temperature) to enjoy exercise.

So does the research work again create confusion in your mind? The simple answer to your confusion is to exercise whenever you feel like because everyone agrees that exercise at any time is better than no exercise at all. If stress relief is your aim, exercise always works, all the time. If you want to train for the upcoming event then keep your schedule same as the time of the event. If you are an early bird just make sure you have an extended warm up and stretching session before the exercise routine. This is essential since the body temperature is at the lowest in the morning and the muscles are less flexible and elastic thus increasing the chances of injury.

Still if you wish to be guided by your circadian rhythm then here is how you find your peak. Record your temperature every couple of hours for 5 to 6 consecutive days. Body temperature usually fluctuates by plus or minus 1.5 degrees throughout the day. The best time to exercise for you will be 3 hours before and after your highest temperature.

The last word on exercise will still remain as ‘SOME EXERCISE ANY TIME OF THE DAY IS BETTER THAN NONE AT ALL’!

#exercise #exerciseashabit #noexcuseexercise