WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO WORKOUT?
Should we all be setting our alarms to go off before the crack of dawn or scheduling our exercise routine for that tension release after a long hard day at work. It’s an age old debate that has all fitness goers making their own decisions to which part of the day suits them best. Truth is, the best time of the day is the one that suits you.
If you are struggling to find a routine (and most importantly, sticking to it) ask yourself these questions:
1. When do I have enough uninterrupted free time to complete a session?
2. When do I feel the most enjoyment doing it?
3. Will I be doing a workout that makes me feel good?
4. What time of the day do I feel I need that endorphin boost the most?
By contemplating this, which largely revolves around how you feel when you are working out, you can start to uncover not only what is most suitable for you and your lifestyle, but also what your body needs.
Still stuck? A study from the University of Copenhagen in collaboration with researchers from the University of California have learned that the effects of exercise can differ depending on the time of day it is performed. They found that exercise in the morning created more effects on metabolising sugar and fat, whilst exercise in the evening, increased whole body energy expenditure for an extended period of time.
This all relates to our body’s circadian clock. You may or may not have heard of this term before? Your sleep-wake circadian rhythm is your body’s clock (also known as your sleep-wake cycle), going between alertness and sleepiness and it plays an important role in our sleep and food intake. Because of this, we know when to sleep and how much we need. Our body’s metabolism function decreases at nighttime and increases in the morning.
Whether or not you like scientific facts to decide when to work out, we believe that every new day we wake up gives us the opportunity to decide how and when we want to work out. Take a moment to remind yourself that you have made the conscious decision to workout today and in the long run that decision will help your overall health and wellbeing, to which your mind and body will be grateful for.
No matter when you workout, here are two quick workouts to try. Your workout should be done at a fast pace if you want to capitalise on fat burning, otherwise, if you are a beginner, just complete each exercise at your own pace to get used to the routine and set a goal to do better the week after.
10 Minute Morning Workout
Complete each exercise for 45 seconds and allow 15 seconds to take a moment to transition into the next exercise.
High knees
Squat jumps
Low plank to high plank
Toe touches
Half burpees
Side plank
Alternate lunges
Jumping jack
Crunches
Butt kicks
10 Minute Evening Workout
Complete each exercise at a slow place for 50 seconds and allow 10 seconds to rest and transition into the next exercise.
Alternating backwards arm circles and step backs
Side to side squat
Walk to plank
Kick back, Arm out. R arm to L Leg
Kick back, Arm out. L arm to R Leg
Low Squat
Plank rotation
Donkey Kicks. L Leg
Donkey Kicks. R Leg
Cat to Cow Pose (Yoga technique)
