Is There A Best Time Of Day To Workout?

This is it!  You’ve decided, you’ve got new workout clothes, your meals prepped, and you’re ready to start A Workout Routine. 

But... WHEN should you workout? is there a BEST time of day?

“Probably morning because ‘they say’ I’ll burn more fat.  Right?   
Or maybe lunch time because ‘they say’ that workouts with accountability partners are better, I’ll get more sleep, and I’ll have a great breakfast on board to keep me going.  Yes. Lunch time it is.  

But maybe I should go after work. Then, I’ve had a full day of fuel and I can burn off the stress of the day.  I could always workout after I put my kids to sleep and I get time that’s uninterrupted… but what if I don’t burn fat that way?  
What if I work out at the wrong time and I don’t get results at all?
SIGH… I’ll think about it some more and start next week… when I figure this out.”

The options are endless and the opinions are varied.  
So… when IS the best time to train?   

A common answer that you’ll hear is to work out in the morning.  I am a morning person, so for me personally, I tend to agree; a morning workout is great to get you pumped up and raring to go for the day.  Some studies support greater fat burning during morning workouts. Reason being: your body doesn’t have to digest and process the glucose (sugar/carbs) that you’ve eaten as fuel first.  Your body will have already burned through the glycogen stored in your muscles through the night and can easily switch into “fat burning” faster than if you’d eaten breakfast prior to your workout.  Other studies have shown that a morning workout enhances your mood 30% more than an evening workout.  Personally, I have done both and been JUST as happy.

So, what if you are simply NOT a morning person?  What if the thought of a 4:30 or 5am alarm clock makes you cringe?  

If you plan morning workouts already knowing you need to hit snooze 17 times ... you’ll never go.  Consequently, if you never go... this is not a great workout.   

Any simple Google search will get you 10,000 answers to this question. Some are in the form of blogs like this, some are studies that break down the numbers, and some are trainers with clients who’ve had spectacular results.  Here’s the caveat: None of those articles, reviews or results are YOURS.   Sure, our amazing SIS trainers can get technical and dial in fat burning with macros and fasted workouts, critiquing every tiny variable... but the very best workout for YOU is the one you actually do.   

Do you LOVE afternoon power sessions during your lunch hour?  Please GO!

Do you CRAVE the before dinner/after work evening burn? By all means GO!

Do you NEED the mental health recovery after a long day of work, kids, husbands, and chores of a before-bed workout?   GO! GO! GO!

So, to answer the worry, stress and concern of “When is the best time for me to workout?” … My answer is YES.  Yes to all of your possibilities.  

Change your momentum and keep it going.  

Every day doesn’t have to be the same.  Sometimes, mornings will feel amazing; other days, you need to escape the office and pound the pavement.

It’s all the best time.  

Post by SiS Coach, Heather

Heather is a mother of 4, US Army Veteran, Registered ER Nurse, Massage therapist, Labor and Postpartum Doula, and certified Personal Trainer.  “I believe that there is no finish line to fitness and you must choose a pace that is sustainable.I will see in you the potential you have and I will hold you accountable, teach you and show you your power.”