Exercise truth #1: The best time of day to exercise

June 20, 7:52 AMMinneapolis Healthy Living ExaminerMary Thomas

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Many theories exist regarding the best time of day to exercise and every exercise professional holds his/her own opinion. Some say it is best to exercise early in the morning after a good night’s rest. They also claim that early morning exercise is more habit forming as there are fewer distractions to back out from it. Other professionals say it is best to exercise in the evening once the body has more energy and the temperature has risen. Yet others claim that exercising in the evening will disrupt sleep patterns, especially if the exercise is high intensity. There are even studies revealing how various hormone (testosterone, estrogen, cortisol) levels throughout the day play a part in the best time to exercise.

So what is the truth? There are no hard evidenced studies that give a solid reason for one time over another. The exercise time has to work for the person’s schedule and the person needs to have enough energy to perform the exercises well. All people are different; some are early birds while others are night owls. If you were to make non-morning people wake up at five o’clock in the morning for a work-out, it might last a day or two for them. On the other hand, if those same people were to work-out in the evening when they naturally have more energy, they have a much better chance at sticking to it.

Therefore, exercise truth #1 – The best time of day to exercise is the time that works best for the individual