Should I work out in the morning or the evenings?

The debate has been going on for ages. It’s a traditional battle between a night owl and an early riser. We often ask the question whether its better to get up early in the morning or stay up late in the night? As you and I are fitness fanatics our only main purpose in life is to get our bodies in the perfect shape, the shape they deserve. A significant portion of our daily life is dedicated towards fitness and exercising. But as the world has now changed and most of us prefer to stay up late in the night. One question does come into play. Should I work out in the morning or the evenings?

There are various amounts of factors and benefits for both the two time slots. We see that a wide variety of benefits can be obtained in both the two time slots, morning and late night. The answer however is largely dependent on how involved you are in the exercise. Some people like to prefer working out in the night whereas some prefer working out in the mornings. Hagar Shafir is a personal trainer who has years of experience in developing fitness routines and deduces the following results of working out in the mornings and the evenings.

Hormonal Effect:

Mornings: Working out in the mornings can be advantageous because the testosterone levels are higher which fuels up your energy.

Evenings: Working out in the morning has one disadvantage that can be recovered in the night. Cortisol levels reach up to 75% in the mornings whereas they are quite low in the evenings. Cortisol is a hormone which helps in metabolism and a higher cortisol level typically means that your muscles are literally being eaten.

Famous Personalities:

Dwayne Johnson is an early riser and works out in the mornings.

Usain Bolt is a night owl and absolutely loves running in the night.

Weight Loss:

Mornings: People who are looking to lose some weight should workout in the mornings. As research indicates that the metabolism rate is much faster in the mornings and working out can be highly beneficial for weight loss.

Evenings: As the metabolism rate is slower in the evenings the losing weight will be harder with an evening workout.

Being Consistent:

Mornings: Research suggests that people who workout in the morning are more consistent when it comes to working out and maintaining it for longer periods.

Evenings: People who work out in the evenings tend to get more tired as compared to those who workout in the morning. This creates a lack of consistency.

Benefits:

Mornings

Due to higher metabolism and increased testosterone the energy gained from working out is phenomenal which leads to a good enough sleep.

Evenings: You can have a longer lie-in which is obviously great for one’s health and maximum strength can be achieved in an evening workout. It is also known that an evening workout can release stress. Furthermore, most of us are looking to go out for a drink in the pub and working out in the evenings is a great way to avoid this situation.