The When to Exercise

Hey everybody! With all the tidbits of information I have touched on so far, are you excited to learn more? I know I am just as eager to share it with you! This segment will focus on a couple of aspects of when should you exercise.

Just like in the Where To Exercise, there really isn't a best or worst time to get in a workout. It merely is a matter of convenience based on your current schedule. What I will explain, or try to at least, are the pros and cons of squeezing it in at certain times of the day and let you decide what works best for your situation.

For me personally, I prefer to do morning workouts. Because I am self employed, I have the luxury of being able to workout whenever and I usually schedule everything else in such a way that it doesn't conflict with my gym time. However, if you don't have that freedom, your time frame is more limited and finding a time that works best may be more challenging. Regardless, there should be some point in your day you can do a workout even if that happens to be your 30 minute lunch break.

If you are like me and start your day with exercise some benefits are: 1) gives you the energy to get you going, 2) kickstarts your metabolism, 3) in the colder months, it warms up your body much more effectively than sitting by a space heater, and 4) during the warmer months it's much cooler in the morning than during the day so you don't overheat.

The downsides for early birds, are that in order to get the most out of a workout, it is recommended that breakfast be eaten 60-90 minutes before exercise so nutrients are properly absorbed.

For you morning people that are gym goers you may find it more crowded during the early hours than at other times of the day due to the number of group fitness classes that bring in huge crowds.

You do typically find an older population demographic in the AM also which adds to the number of people that may be at a certain location.

Midday sessions can be beneficial because after sitting for a number of hours, they get the blood flowing again and possibly break up any monotony felt throughout the workday.

Another positive to this time of day is that this is a gyms slow time so not many other members will be there hogging the equipment you want to use.

Conversely, if you're only allowed 60 minutes and you always get stuck in the lunch time traffic headed to the gym, you may not get done all of what you had hoped to accomplish by going to the gym. For groupies like myself who want to not always have to think about what workout to do, or need a personal trainer to offer guidance, between 12-5 pm classes usually aren't offered and fewer personal trainers are working. In cases like these, it may be helpful to encourage employees to get up every 30-45 mins and move around a bit or suggest creating a small space in workplaces where they can engage in physical activity during break times.

Lastly, those of you who crave the adrenaline rush to help you sleep at night, well...there's that. Additionally, you probably haven't gorged yourself full of food yet so the snack you had a couple hours ago won't leave you needing to vomit part way through your activity, but supplies your body with enough energy to complete your entire workout.

This period, like the morning, is also a very busy time for gyms due to the multiple classes occurring and the fact that some gyms just don't open early enough for those who begin work at the crack of dawn.

Unless your facility is available 24/7, chances are pretty good you will have to select a timeframe that suits your current schedule. When that occurs is for you to decide. You may have to try different periods during the day or even vary the location to explore when the options you desire are most readily available. Remember there is no good or bad, right or wrong time but rather that you are getting up, getting out and getting moving.

In the next installment of my blog, I will discuss the importance of exercise and various reasons we engage in physical activity. Some may surprise you...

Survey question: when do you prefer to exercise or work out?