When is the best time to exercise in the evening? Let's resolve the endless dispute. When is it better to exercise: morning or evening

Both beginning athletes and experienced athletes ask themselves this question. After all, everyone has their own affairs, responsibilities, individual characteristics. Some have free time in the morning, for others in the evening, and for others - during lunch, in the middle of the working day. But the issue remains on the agenda. When is the best time to play sports? Let’s try to figure it out.

There is such a concept

There is such a term as biorhythms or human circadian rhythms.

Scientists have conducted experiments aimed at establishing the relationship between sports and training time.

The results are as follows: at noon and early evening, a person's body temperature is slightly higher than at other times of the day. Therefore, the risk of injury is most reduced.

Strength training and stretching are best during this time. Aerobics, tennis, dancing - that is, any activity that requires maximum strength and endurance, because the body is ready for feats. And after eight in the evening it is better to return to yours "morning" sports, because the metabolism slows down, the body temperature begins to drop, and the body is adjusting to the upcoming sleep. After - and breathing exercises, will prepare you for a good rest.

When newcomers come to the gym, due to their inexperience, they make many mistakes. Of course, there is a fitness instructor in the gym who will show you a number of exercises and correct any errors that appear. However, in this article we will tell you what exercises you need to do and how many approaches.

Following all diets and regimens correctly proper nutrition, you still won't be able to achieve an increase muscle mass. In order to achieve a certain result, there are only two options: go to sport Club or activity at home. Of course, the fitness instructor will select the necessary set of exercises and tell you about the diet. However, in this article we will offer you a method of building mass based on several exercises.

In this article, let's look at how you can build muscles at home. The main obstacle to studying at home is our laziness. However, if you overcome it and start exercising at least an hour a day, you will notice results within a couple of weeks. And you definitely need to give yourself at least one day off.

By definition from physiology reference books, there are three main body types. Z By knowing the characteristics of each of them, you can change your body, while quickly selecting only correct complexes exercise or diet. However, on the Internet there is some scattering of concepts and terms for determining body type - we will try to eliminate this.

The article will discuss exercises that allow you to pump up important muscles - the lower abs. These exercises can be performed both at home and in the gym. This instruction is intended for those people who want to pump up beautiful abs quickly, while spending only about ten minutes a day.

This article will talk about a beautiful male figure, namely with regard to broad shoulders. Let's look at exercises to keep your muscles toned. They can be performed at home or in the gym.

The main rule for successful exercise is regularity. In addition, experts usually advise exercising at the same time. But what time is better to choose? When is it better to exercise: morning or evening? Let's try to understand these issues.

The human body obeys circadian rhythms. By nature, our body is programmed to be active at specific times and rest at specific times. Moreover, different people These periods may differ: some people feel a surge of energy in the early morning, while others experience maximum productivity in the afternoon. Therefore, there is no exact recipe for when it is best to exercise. Training will be most effective if it coincides with a person’s individual rhythms.

During activity, two important parameters for humans fluctuate:

  • Physical activity in which the muscles can perceive the load positively or not very well.
  • Psychological activity in which the brain can actively perceive everything new or resist receiving any stimuli.

It is important to choose the time for training taking into account your biorhythms. Observe how you feel for 2-3 weeks to identify when you usually become drowsy, apathetic, or irritable. Training at this time will not be very useful: even if you force yourself to go to work out, your body will only get very tired.

And vice versa, noticing that you have desire move, be active, try to schedule sports at just such a time. Training at the peak of activity, in which the muscles will enjoy the work, will contribute to the active burning of fat and the acquisition of beautiful muscle mass.

To track such periods of your well-being, you can keep a special diary.

By determining daily biorhythms, you can correctly distribute active activity and rest. Plan sports and other activities during active periods, including mental ones, during periods of its decline - daytime sleep, meditation or just rest.

In accordance with biorhythms people are conventionally divided into “night owls” and “larks”:

  • Larks are people who get up easily in the morning and are most active in the first half of the day, but find it difficult to stay awake at night.
  • For owls, everything is different: they have an extremely difficult time getting up in the morning, feel tired and apathetic, but in the afternoon their performance improves.
  • There is also a third type called the pigeon. People who use it can work equally effectively both in the morning and in the evening, without feeling a lack of energy.

Thus, the best time to exercise will be determined by biorhythms. It is better for larks to train in the first half of the day, for owls - in the second. Then the training will take place with maximum benefit and pleasure.

It also happens that a person’s rhythm gets lost. This can be affected by factors such as working in shifts, moving and flying, time changes, having small children, pregnancy, and so on.

But in the course of certain studies it was revealed that rhythms can be changed. For example, if a person starts exercising regularly in the morning, over time his body will get used to it and be ready for it. Experts insist that adjusting the biological rhythm is especially important for athletes who are preparing for certain competitions. They advise rescheduling training for the time of day at which the upcoming competition is scheduled.

What is the best time to exercise?

Scientists believe that the optimal time for fitness is when normal body temperature is maximum and muscles are warm and elastic. For most people it is 16-17 hours. In addition, there is evidence that in the middle of the day a person is 5% stronger than usual, and in the afternoon - more resilient.

In the morning, body temperature is considered reduced, and it is not recommended to resort to serious activity - simple exercise is enough. In other time periods, biorhythms have the following features:

  • 10-12 noon. At this time, the concentration of adrenaline is maximum, so sports that require endurance and attentiveness are optimal.
  • 14-15 hours of the day. Activity decreases, and it is better to rest during this time.
  • 15-16 hours of the day. Muscle tone is increased, you can resort to strength exercises.
  • 16-19 hours. You can run, swing, and resort to aerobic activities - at this time the body reacts to the load as favorably as possible.
  • 20-22 pm. Body temperature gradually decreases, energy decreases, and fatigue is felt. It is better to postpone serious loads at this time - you can do yoga and other activities that promote relaxation.

Speaking about what is the best time of day to play sports, it is also worth considering the relationship between the time of playing sports and eating food. It all depends on your goals, but, as a rule, all trainers advise eating light food a couple of hours before class. And here You can’t exercise immediately after eating- it will be too hard for the body. The only exceptions are gainers and proteins, which athletes typically consume before or after training.

What time of day is best to practice different sports?

The answer to the question of what time of day is best to exercise will depend on what type of activity we are talking about. Let's take a closer look:

  • Run. If you want to run for the purpose of losing weight, then it is best to do it in the morning, before breakfast, after drinking a cup of tea or coffee - this way the body will begin to actively burn fat reserves. You can run in the evening, but preferably no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime, otherwise insomnia is possible.
  • Charger. Exercise is a classic start to the day. It helps you wake up faster, stretch your muscles and the whole body, so it is recommended to do it in the morning, before breakfast, after taking a shower and washing your face. After eating, any stress can cause digestive disorders.
  • Workouts to gain muscle mass. For those who want to accelerate muscle growth, the optimal time is the second half of the day. During the period of 14-16 hours, the muscles are most susceptible to stress, and the metabolism is most active, and as a result, the exercises will be very productive.

Researchers agree that physical activity helps improve sleep quality. And at the same time, it is not so important what time you train. But it is better to try to avoid strong activity immediately before bed - the body may not have time to adjust to rest, which will provoke insomnia. In general, vigorous exercise at least an hour before bed will not help negative influence, therefore, there are no restrictions as such regarding until what time you can play sports. But keep in mind that lack of sleep will negatively affect your activity and training results.

Features of effective sports for early risers

If you are a morning person, then the best time for you to exercise to lose weight is in the morning. At this time, you will be active and productive, training will bring joy and good results. You can use exercises for all muscle groups, outdoor running, swimming, and cardio equipment.

Also To combat excess fat deposits in the morning, you can use a hoop with massage balls. By rotating it for 15 minutes to energetic music, you will not only get a slim waist, but also great mood all day.

Morning workouts have many benefits. They help you wake up faster, set you up for an active day and charge you with energy, leaving your evening free.

Moreover, it is The morning is considered the optimal time specifically for losing weight. Glycogen reserves in the body are very low, so it is fat that will be burned. But to build muscle mass, it is better to exercise in the afternoon, but so that it coincides with your physical and psychological recovery. Classes should be intense, but not too intense, because you still need to leave energy for the whole day.

Features of training for night owls

What time to exercise? After noon. In the morning his body will be completely unprepared for stress. In addition, if a person’s hormonal levels “sway” slowly, activity in the morning can even provoke a strong deterioration in well-being.

The first training session may take place over a period of 12-16 hours. This is usually a lunch break, which can be replaced gym or aerobics.

It is better to schedule strength training after work. In the evening, the owl, unlike the lark, is full of energy and can exercise with benefit and pleasure. After training, it is recommended to have a protein-rich dinner.

Evening workouts also have their benefits. The working day is already over, you can take your time and give your best, besides, the muscles and ligaments are already sufficiently warmed up, which minimizes the risk of injury. After training, you can fully relax, and your body will recover overnight.

Thus, at what time it is more effective to exercise, everyone can choose individually, depending on their biorhythms. But remember that in any case, regularity, consistency and a sense of proportion are very important.


Those who have no problem waking up early. There are 20–25% of such larks. But 30–40% of people are night owls, and they prefer going to the gym in the evening. The rest are just lucky - they don’t care when to get up.

Morning: “for”

Decreased appetite throughout the day

Scientists from the UK compared data from surveys conducted among runners. It turned out that those who ran in the morning felt less hungry during the day than fans of evening jogging. Scientists have suggested that morning exercise suppresses the release of hormones responsible for appetite. This means that for those who tend to overeat, after morning workout It will be easier to cope with the habit of chewing something all the time.

It's easier to burn fat in the morning

During physical activity, carbohydrates are first consumed and only after twenty minutes of movement the muscles receive energy from fat. That is why long workouts, no shorter than 40 minutes, have always been recommended for weight loss. However, recent research from the American College of Sports Medicine shows that just 20 to 30 minutes of exercise in the first half of the day is enough. In terms of fat burning effect, this will be identical to 40 minutes after lunch. The reason is that until 17 o'clock in the afternoon our metabolism is set to consume energy, including fat. And after 17 hours the intensity of metabolic processes fades away, hormonal and other systems are already focused on replenishing reserves. Therefore, in the morning, stubborn fat deposits are more easily consumed.

Lower risk of injury

After a morning workout, fatigue goes away faster and muscles recover better, according to a new study from the University of Toronto. Doctors observed 3,000 people who were passionate about fitness and found that after morning training, the pulse returned to normal on average 20% faster than after evening training. In addition, a blood test showed that with the same intensity of training, microtrauma to muscle fibers and associated blood changes in the morning occur less frequently.

Morning: "against"

You won't have time to have breakfast

Exercising in the morning on an empty stomach is ineffective and can lead to fainting. Without breakfast, you only have enough energy for light exercise. So what, get up two hours earlier, eat and wait an hour for breakfast to digest? This won't suit anyone. True, you can drink sweet tea with a piece of chocolate, coffee with sugar, juice, eat a banana, a handful of raisins or dried apricots. These products will be absorbed while you are getting dressed.

Thick blood

You did not drink for at least 8 hours while you slept; during this time, some water was excreted in your urine and, possibly, in your sweat. Once the fluid is gone, it means the blood has become thicker; increasing its circulation in such an “undiluted” form means overloading the heart and veins. Therefore, before training, be sure to drink 1-2 glasses of liquid and wait 5-10 minutes for the moisture to be absorbed.

In the morning the body is still asleep

After sleep, blood circulation throughout the body is slowed down, the lungs are narrowed, and the nervous system is inhibited. Therefore, it is necessary to start charging with a warm-up, gradually increasing the load. Beginners are not recommended to give themselves serious exercise such as running or strength exercises in the morning; it is better to take a walk, ride a bike, or swim.

Evening: “for”



As you know, in the evening the metabolism slows down, which is why a chocolate bar eaten for breakfast will have almost no effect on your figure, but a cake at dinner immediately shows up in the waist area. Moderate exercise stressgood way speed up metabolism. However, the load must be moderate, no records!

At night after training, fat will be consumed

We know that burning calories doesn't stop when you finish your workout! By inertia, the muscles continue to consume energy for recovery for at least another 12 hours. Now imagine that after your workout you ate a light dinner and went to bed. There is no more food new energy does not arrive, which means the body will be forced to turn to stored fat. And so on until the morning. And in the morning, metabolism also has no time for reserves, which means weight loss is inevitable!

Evening: “against”

Tiredness after work

Not everyone can force themselves to do exercises after work or drag themselves to the pool. Some people don’t have enough motivation to break the usual pattern and do something active in the evening, while others are really too tired physically.

I really want to eat after a workout

Experts from the Swedish School of Sports and Health Sciences believe that this is an indicator of the wrong training. It was clearly either too intense or too long. Replace running with a walk, aerobics with an exercise bike. Shorten the session from an hour to 40 or 30 minutes.

It's hard to sleep

The reason is too intense training.

So, let's summarize. Both morning and evening have their pros and cons. So proceed from your own preferences, as well as from your work schedule. Moving when you feel comfortable is much healthier than not moving at all. And the negative effects can be easily negated by using the advice we have given.

Greetings to all, Dear friends. Today I will give you precise answers to the questions that concern you, namely: what time is the best time to exercise? exercise How to determine the most optimal time. You will also receive valuable recommendations regarding classes in different time. Begin?

Before we start looking at specific times of the day, I want to immediately note that any type of training (morning, afternoon or evening, it doesn’t matter) has its positive and negative aspects. It’s up to you to decide which option to choose, but I don’t advise you to rush; it’s better to outline for yourself all the pros and cons.

Larks, owls and pigeons

So, you've probably heard that people are larks or night owls. I’ll tell you more, there are also pigeons. Who are pigeons? Oh, these are, in my opinion, universal people in terms of choosing training times.


Larks by nature get up early and go to bed early too. Owls... I think everything is clear here, it’s not for me to explain to you that these are nocturnal birds. And pigeons... The activity of a pigeon depends on its habits: if it long time If he goes to bed early, he won’t have any problems getting up early. A similar picture emerges with wakefulness at night.

You might argue that both the lark and the owl can also become accustomed to certain conditions: the lark may stay up late, while the owl may wake up early. Yes, I completely agree with you - it is possible, but still it will be easier for the pigeon, and a well-formed conditioned reflex(not sleeping at night or waking up early) will be more stable, that is, you don’t have to constantly fight with it and reinforce it. It was formed and that's it.

But that’s not what I started writing about. I was simply pointing out that when choosing a time to study, you need to start from your “nature” - you need to pay attention to this first of all. Monitor yourself for a week and note at what time you feel a surge of strength. If you want to exercise in the evening, then the choice of training time is obvious.

Let's take a more specific look at classes at different times of the day.

Classes in the morning

What makes morning classes stand out? First of all, the body absorbs the most in the morning. This time is great for gaining weight and losing weight. Both cases are different.


When losing weight, you need to not eat at all - this will allow the body to feed on fat deposits.

During weight gain, on the contrary, you need to eat very little to avoid heaviness in the stomach during exercise, and immediately within 30 minutes after training you need to take it, and only then have a full meal. This will provoke the body to diligently absorb proteins and the elements it needs.

The disadvantages of exercising in the morning are that for the first month and a half it may be difficult for you to get used to this regimen. This, in turn, is a great stress for the body, which can affect well-being and vital energy an unprepared person.

But rest assured, once you get used to it, you won’t have any problems, you won’t have problems getting up, and your health will improve significantly. Just imagine, you are not just doing it, but you are fully engaged.

Daytime activities

Daytime activities are good because the body has already woken up, “warmed up”, and the brain is already working “to its fullest.” More positive side daytime activities is the fact that after training the body and body systems have time to gradually return to normal without sudden jumps.

The model is something like this: activity – slowing down – calming down – normal state. But not like this: activity is a normal state. The absence of a slowing down and calming down phase also negatively affects the body. I will talk about this below.

Evening classes

Evening classes, as mentioned above, have one, but strong drawback - the absence of a calming phase. You cannot subject your body to such stress, forcing it to rapidly move into completely opposite states. This is similar to the case with water. If you create conditions such that water immediately turns from a solid (ice) state into steam, then the structure of the water will be disrupted.

But if you feel that a surge of energy occurs in the evening, and you want to exercise, then I can only advise this: do not immediately start resting, much less sleep.


Classes at any free time

I can say with confidence that this way of practicing is the worst. It does not allow the body to get used to any regime or adjust to the rhythm of life.

Imagine, today you trained at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, the day after tomorrow at 7 o’clock in the evening, and a few days later in the morning. The body simply does not have time to get used to and prepare for subsequent stress. It is prepared for one time, and you reschedule the training time.

Therefore, I will repeat again: studying at any time is the worst way to study. Although, as they say, “if there is no fish, there is no cancer.” Therefore, if you have no other opportunity, but only in your free time, which is constantly changing, then it is better to do this than nothing. Something is better than nothing.

Exercises before and after meals

Naturally, you need to exercise before eating. This is due to the functioning of the organs and systems of the body, and possible inconvenience. It’s not for nothing that they advise you to eat 2 hours before training, that is, so that the food has time to to a greater extent digest.

Exercising after meals is fraught with heaviness in the stomach, possible nausea, and also feeling unwell. Do you feel a little sleepy after a heavy lunch? This blood drained from the brain and rushed to the stomach. Do you think you can train a lot in this state?

I hope you have determined for yourself best time for training, and if you don’t yet have a full-fledged training program, then turn your attention to the video course “ For men" And " For women».

Many people start playing sports spontaneously - some were recommended by doctors, for some, sports are an opportunity to regain a good figure, while others simply bought beautiful and fashionable sneakers on sale. Whatever the motivation for playing sports, one of the most complex issues– what time of day is best to exercise? Here it is worth taking into account the condition and physical fitness of the body, the availability of free time, the time of main work or study, the schedule of classes at the gym if you want to work out in a group. In addition, you need to pay attention to individual time psychological activity. This is the time during which we are ready to perceive something new and withstand stress. It is this factor that determines the type of person - “lark” or “night owl”.

In order to understand what time of day is best to exercise, let’s try to understand the nuances of morning and evening workouts.

Features of morning workouts

Many people associate morning workouts only with jogging. However, this is not always the case. Many large fitness centers are open from early morning to provide clients with the opportunity to exercise any kind of sport before work. But why do people choose physical activity over a good morning sleep? To do this, let’s try to understand the pros and cons of morning exercise.

  1. The most main reason reason why people go in for sports in the morning is the presence large quantity strength Admit it, how many times have you promised yourself to go for a run after work? However, a heavy dinner and fatigue take their toll and training remains only in plans. And if you get up early in the morning, you will get time only for yourself - when the children are sleeping and don’t bother you, when it’s too early to run to work, and you have so much energy that you can move mountains!
  2. Any physical activity produces great amount endorphins. This means that after training your mood improves significantly, you get a boost of energy and Have a good mood for all day.
  3. If you decide to work out in the morning, you need to know one main rule. After waking up, at least half an hour should pass before training, otherwise the heart simply will not have time to “warm up” for active work. After all, at night blood circulation slows down, even body temperature drops slightly. Under no circumstances should you wake up and immediately go for a run. When training in the morning, you need to devote more time and attention to warming up.
  4. Another feature of morning training is the lack of glucose in the blood, since the last meal usually takes about 10 hours. If you want to gain mass, it is better not to exercise in the morning. But for drying and fat burning, morning is the time. Everyone knows that fat begins to burn only after 20 minutes of running, immediately after the body uses up glycogen. But in the morning, fat will begin to burn almost immediately, since there is no glucose in the blood. Therefore, even a 20-minute run will be very effective.
  5. Morning workouts are very useful for those who do not control their appetite. In one European scientific institute A study was conducted in which thousands of people took part. People who ran in the morning consumed fewer calories throughout the day; they just didn't feel like eating. Among those who ran in the evening, similar results could not be achieved. Scientists have suggested that morning jogging somehow affects appetite. Whether this is true or not has not yet been proven, but many people really don’t want to eat after a morning run.
  6. If you are planning an intensive strength training, which requires a lot of energy, you can drink water with honey and lemon immediately after waking up. This will give you fuel for active work. If you don’t do this, your eyes will get dark from the strain, and you may even faint.
  7. Morning training also has a number of disadvantages, one of which is the thickness of the blood. After all, the body has not consumed water or food for more than 10 hours in a row! Therefore, when going for a morning run, do not neglect water - you need to drink both before and during training.
  8. Another feature of morning training, or rather, its advantage, is that few people do it in the morning, approximately 25% of the total number of athletes. And this means that Treadmills and other simulators will be free!

But the most important thing to pay attention to is your well-being. If you prefer to leave all important things for the morning, like to wake up early and get everything done, most likely, morning training will not be hard labor for you. Try working out one morning. If you like it, then you are definitely a morning person.

Why classic? Yes, because most people still choose evening workouts. And there are many reasons for this.

  1. Many people exercise in the evening because they cannot take away their precious morning sleep time. In the morning you need to get up for work, study, and spend time on the road. And in the evening after dinner there is free time, which many devote to sports.
  2. Most people can't work out in the morning because it leaves them feeling groggy throughout the day. After morning training, they have to work and study, fatigue forces them to make many mistakes, the person becomes absent-minded, and concentration decreases. But after an evening workout, you can go to bed with pleasure and know that tense muscles continue to work and burn fat for several hours after exercise.
  3. All athletes know that nutrition is closely related to sports activity. Eating in the immediate hours after a workout will put the emphasis on building muscle. And if you fast for at least 3 hours after exercise, you will notice fat burning and drying. Many girls choose evening workouts because they can go straight to bed afterward to benefit their figure. But after a morning workout you need to have breakfast, which does not entirely support the weight loss theory.
  4. Evening exercise is a great way to speed up your metabolism, which slows down in the evening. This way you can “work off” the cakes and sweets you eat during the day.
  5. Evening workouts also have their drawbacks - after intense exercise, you will not be able to fall asleep for a long time, since a huge amount of adrenaline and cartisol is released into the blood. But moderate exercise shortly before bed, on the contrary, will make your sleep deep and long.
  6. If you only have time for training in the late evening, you need to give preference to less aggressive sports - swimming, yoga, bodyflex, Pilates, etc.
  7. Another significant disadvantage of evening training is fatigue after a working day. If the day turns out to be nervous and difficult, you don’t even have the strength to think about training, let alone go to the gym.
    These are the main features, disadvantages and advantages of evening training.
When answering the question of what time is best to go to work out, you need to turn to your body. If you easily wake up earlier than others, get out of bed quickly and don’t lie around at the first rays of the sun, then by all means try to work out in the morning. Many people literally get pleasure and cheerfulness from morning exercise. If you have difficulty getting up when your alarm clock rings, walk around like a sleepy fly for half the day, but work perfectly at night, your time for exercise is in the evening. It is better for children to exercise in the afternoon, but not too late, so that the training does not lead to overstimulation of the sensitive nervous system child. It is best to study a couple of hours after the end of lessons, so that the child has time to rest and gain strength.

Before you start practicing, you need to pay attention to the little things. The choice of sport, gym and coach, the time of day to play sports, and the choice of a partner are very important. After all, it is these little things that shape your attitude towards your studies. If everything goes well, you will fall in love with sports, as many activists do. healthy image life. If something goes wrong, you will force yourself for a while, but sooner or later you will give up on this idea. Play sports, love sports, be on friendly terms with sports!

Video: what time of day is best to train?