We've heard that fitness should be a non-negotiable activity, like brushing your teeth. To fit exercise in, there are women who have the ability to pop awake at 5AM and run five miles, others who prefer to sweat it out after 5PM, while the rest of us flip-flop around, squeezing in a workout sometimes earlier, sometimes later. But the bigger question is: Does it really matter what time of the day we exercise?
Which is best: morning or evening workouts?
Findings are really two-sided. One study from Bangor University suggests that exercise is best in the morning for women who have stressful jobs. Physiologists found that even though mental exhaustion after work does not actually affect muscles, since people perceive exercise as a strenuous activity, it may be better to train in the morning when the mind is fresh.
On the other hand, the evening workouts may be better. Gunma University School of Medicine found that afternoon exercise improves the quality of a night's sleep (and we can all use that!).
Since the jury seems to be out on whether an AM or PM workout is best physiologically, SheKnows asked a well-known health and fitness expert about her own routine. Hollywood-based celebrity trainer and lifestyle consultant Ashley Borden provides the following tips to fine tune your own workout schedule.
Go with your goal
Not all workouts are made for the AM hours, so there's no need to feel guilty if you aren't able or willing to get up at the crack of dawn. Borden, a Nike fitness professional responsible for some of Hollywood's most fit bodies, says that the time you should work out depends on your goal.
"If you want to lose body fat, it's best to train in the morning on an empty stomach," advises Borden, who is currently the face of Nintendo's new Wii Fit. "Cardio is best in the morning, then you can do strength training in the afternoon or evening. But, if you are lifting weights in the morning, it's imperative that that you properly warm up your body."
Find your golden hour
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Experiment with working out at different times of the day to see what feels right to you. Once you've found that golden hour, you'll be more excited to work out and see better results.
"Since I control my schedule, I have trained at every time of day from five in the morning to the middle of the night, but I have found that for me, the afternoon is perfect. My energy level is the highest and I feel that my body is warmed up since it has been moving around for awhile."
Mix up your workouts
Regardless of the time of day you prefer to exercise, keeping a balanced variety of workouts in your routine will keep you motivated to move.
Another reason that Borden prefers her workouts in the afternoon is because the exercise helps her break up the day and feel good mentally. She also likes to mix up her routine.
"Today my workouts are well-balanced. I break up my hour into 10 minutes of rolling out, 20 minutes of active warm-up and 30 minutes of full body strength and conditioning circuits," Borden explains. "On alternate days, I kick box, and other days I strength train."
Be flexible
Flexibility isn't only good for the body, it's also good for your approach to fitness. Exercise at any time of the day trumps a day without it, so don't fall into the trap of passing on your workout if it doesn't fall into a specific time slot. If life gets in the way of your workout, don't feel obligated to scrap it all together. If you only have time to stretch, that's always better than doing nothing at all.
Which is best: morning or evening workouts?
Findings are really two-sided. One study from Bangor University suggests that exercise is best in the morning for women who have stressful jobs. Physiologists found that even though mental exhaustion after work does not actually affect muscles, since people perceive exercise as a strenuous activity, it may be better to train in the morning when the mind is fresh.
On the other hand, the evening workouts may be better. Gunma University School of Medicine found that afternoon exercise improves the quality of a night's sleep (and we can all use that!).
Since the jury seems to be out on whether an AM or PM workout is best physiologically, SheKnows asked a well-known health and fitness expert about her own routine. Hollywood-based celebrity trainer and lifestyle consultant Ashley Borden provides the following tips to fine tune your own workout schedule.
Go with your goal
Not all workouts are made for the AM hours, so there's no need to feel guilty if you aren't able or willing to get up at the crack of dawn. Borden, a Nike fitness professional responsible for some of Hollywood's most fit bodies, says that the time you should work out depends on your goal.
"If you want to lose body fat, it's best to train in the morning on an empty stomach," advises Borden, who is currently the face of Nintendo's new Wii Fit. "Cardio is best in the morning, then you can do strength training in the afternoon or evening. But, if you are lifting weights in the morning, it's imperative that that you properly warm up your body."
Find your golden hour
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Top Ten Cars
Experiment with working out at different times of the day to see what feels right to you. Once you've found that golden hour, you'll be more excited to work out and see better results.
"Since I control my schedule, I have trained at every time of day from five in the morning to the middle of the night, but I have found that for me, the afternoon is perfect. My energy level is the highest and I feel that my body is warmed up since it has been moving around for awhile."
Mix up your workouts
Regardless of the time of day you prefer to exercise, keeping a balanced variety of workouts in your routine will keep you motivated to move.
Another reason that Borden prefers her workouts in the afternoon is because the exercise helps her break up the day and feel good mentally. She also likes to mix up her routine.
"Today my workouts are well-balanced. I break up my hour into 10 minutes of rolling out, 20 minutes of active warm-up and 30 minutes of full body strength and conditioning circuits," Borden explains. "On alternate days, I kick box, and other days I strength train."
Be flexible
Flexibility isn't only good for the body, it's also good for your approach to fitness. Exercise at any time of the day trumps a day without it, so don't fall into the trap of passing on your workout if it doesn't fall into a specific time slot. If life gets in the way of your workout, don't feel obligated to scrap it all together. If you only have time to stretch, that's always better than doing nothing at all.
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