The Best Time of Day to Exercise

Posted On Apr 12, 2016 By Joel Harper

The Best Time of Day to Exercise

People are always asking me about the best time of day to exercise, and my answer is always the same: The best time is the time that is right for you.

What does that mean? Every one of us is different, and no person, magazine or newspaper article should tell you what time of day to exercise. You are your own best expert when it comes to this, and you can learn what's best for you by listening to your body and your mind. It's pretty simple. Exercise when you feel your best and are most successful at following through on your fitness goals. Here are a few examples:

  • I have a client named Anthony who works out in the morning because he knows that this is when he is at his best. "It invigorates me, gets my blood pumping, and makes me feel like I got my day started off on the right foot. It sets the pace for the rest of my day," he has told me. A couple of times, Anthony had to reschedule his appointment with me and workout in the evening after work. I could tell he was out of sync immediately. He had no energy and couldn't wait for our session to be over. Later he told me that working out late had kept him up when it was time to go to bed. Once we both realized this, we made sure to respect his morning exercise sessions.
  • Another client of mine, Samantha, is at the opposite end of the spectrum — a sunset exerciser, not a sunrise mover and shaker. Samantha knows that she needs to start her day off at a slower, more relaxed pace. When I asked her about it she said, "My job is super fast-paced, and at the end of the day I feel all pumped up and over stimulated. A workout after I leave the office is the perfect way for me to settle down and transition into my evening. I go home after with a relaxed state of mind and can go right to sleep."
  • While most people tend to lean towards either morning or evening workouts, I also know people I call "floaters," who have schedules that vary from day to day. They are able to successfully exercise by evaluating each day's schedule and fitting in a workout whenever their gut tells them it will work. Floaters like spontaneity and variety, and they enjoy not having workouts on autopilot.

BowFlex makes it easy to work out whichever time of day works for you. See all of our in-home fitness equipment at BowFlex.com.