A study published in 2019 in the Journal of Physiology found that exercising at 7 a.m. may shift your body clock earlier, meaning you'll feel more alert in the morning and get tired earlier in the evening, potentially priming you to get enough rest to wake up and do the same thing the next day.
“Exercising at 7 a.m. or between 1 and 4 p.m. helps your circadian clock to 'fall back' in time, making it easier to wake up earlier,” Heisz says. If you need to train your body to wake up later in the morning, try working out between 7 and 10 p.m. “The best time to exercise is when you can fit it in,” Arciero says.
Studies have shown that working out at 7 a.m., compared to later in the afternoon or evening, may help individuals get more quality sleep at night. One more argument making the case for a workout first thing in the morning is that exercising on an empty stomach could burn more fat.
Exercising in a fasted state may burn some quick body fat, but it's not the best option for your body in the long-run. Eat a small snack or meal before and after your workout to ensure that you're properly fueled to perform your best in the gym and recover quickly when you get home.
Exercising in the morning has more health benefits than the obvious ones. Besides burning calories, working out in the morning can also: Encourage you to eat healthier. Boost your energy throughout the day.
It Should Be Short And Sweet
You don't want to overdo it and be tired for the remainder of the day, or worse, work out so hard that your gym performance suffers. As a general rule, your morning workout should be under 15 minutes and not loaded with reps.
Getting that 5 am workout in can help set healthy eating standards and adequate hydration for the day. Most likely you aren't eating a strawberry filled glazed doughnut before or after your morning run or heading to FIT Camp. You want to get a good meal that fuels your body for your day, not drag you down.
Before your morning workout, fuel your body with whole, minimally processed carbohydrate and protein foods such as: oatmeal. whole grain toast. fruit.
While the importance of eating before a workout may vary based on the situation, most scientists agree that it's beneficial to eat after exercise. Research shows that some nutrients, particularly protein and carbs, can help your body recover and adapt after exercise.
Most people should avoid strenuous workouts in the late evening or right before bedtime if they want to get the best night's sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation of American.
As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight, maintain weight loss or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Reducing sitting time is important, too.
Two-a-day workouts can be a good idea, but only if you stick to a structured workout plan with enough time for rest. There are many benefits to working out twice a day. It reduces your sedentary time and improves your overall performance. But twice-a-day workouts also carry a risk of overtraining and injury.
A study published in 2019 in the Journal of Physiology found that exercising at 7 a.m. may shift your body clock earlier, meaning you'll feel more alert in the morning and get tired earlier in the evening, potentially priming you to get enough rest to wake up and do the same thing the next day.
In most cases, they are as good as afternoon/evening workouts. And certainly better than no exercise at all! There are some situations in which a later workout might be better for you. But if you have time to warm up and exercising in the morning is your way to stay consistent – go for it.
However, Bowitz says, if you're looking for a more literal answer here, he suggests 30 minutes is a good time to aim for. "This allows an appropriate amount of time to stretch, to warm up, to do 20 minutes of cardio or a workout circuit, and cool down," he explains.
While it's usually unnecessary to wait until food is fully digested before exercising, it's best to give it some time to settle in your stomach. For most people, 1–2 hours is sufficient after a moderate-sized meal, while waiting at least 30 minutes after a snack is fine.
It's often recommended that you work out first thing in the morning before eating breakfast, in what's known as a fasted state. This is believed to help with weight loss. However, working out after eating may give you more energy and improve your performance.
To maximize performance during your workout, eating a banana 30–60 minutes prior to a workout may be most beneficial. Meanwhile, eating 1–2 bananas in combination with other carb sources can aid recovery after a workout or during a longer one ( 1 , 3 , 4 ).
Consuming coffee 30–60 minutes before your workout or sporting event can help delay fatigue and increase muscle strength and power. Keep in mind that the stimulating effects of caffeine from coffee can cause sleep problems if consumed too close to bedtime, as well as increase anxiety in some people.
The ideal workout duration can vary significantly depending on the person, their goals, their preferences, and the exercise type. For weightlifting and bodyweight strength training, 45–60 minutes per session may suffice. Meanwhile, cardiovascular and calisthenic training may be better if performed for 30–60 minutes.
You'll be more prone to injury, which can lead to months of inactivity and lost progress. It's recommended to rest for 72 hours before working out the same muscle group again. This gives your body the time it needs for muscle recovery and growth without risking injury from overtraining or under-recovery.