Morning or evening exercise, which is better?

Many people suspect that the healthiest exercise is when there is exposure to morning sunlight, because it provides the body with lots of vitamin D and fresher air. However, some people prefer to exercise in the afternoon or evening because they have more free time. However, which one is actually better, morning or evening exercise?

Benefits of morning exercise

Professor of Applied Sports Science, Lara Carlson, Ph.D. from the University of New England, said morning exercise has benefits for those of you who want to lose weight or improve health.

As quoted WomensHealthMag.com , Lara said that exercise in the morning is beneficial to increase daily physical activity.

"In addition, it also revitalizes the body's metabolism, so that the calories in the body will be burned more. Blood pressure can be more stable and you sleep better at night, ”said Lara.

Exercise in the morning also helps you to form more consistent exercise habits, according to Cedric Bryant, PhD from the American Council on Exercise. But Bryant also suggests that you should warm up longer because your body temperature is relatively lower in the morning.

Benefits of exercise in the afternoon or exercise at night

Exercising at night, according to Laura, the benefit is to increase enzyme activity and muscle function, and to help relax the body after a long day of work.

In theory, according to Dr. Michael Triangto, SpKO, night exercise is more effective for muscle building. Michael also explained, exercise at night can help sleep problems such as insomnia. "As long as it is done properly and the intensity is in accordance with the capacity of our bodies. The body will be dehydrated and it will be difficult for us to sleep if we exercise too much, ”said Michael.

Which is healthier, exercise in the morning or at night?

In the end, it will all come back to the benefits you want to get for yourself. Whether it's the evening or the morning, depending on you. According to American Heart Association , in the end all will depend on four things:

Location.
Time.
Sport type.
Social settings, such as whether you exercise alone or with friends.

If you are not a person who gets up early every day, maybe an afternoon or evening exercise would be better for you. That way, you don't just turn off the alarm every morning and your exercise plan is just a discourse. If you like to exercise alone, then choose a time or place where you can exercise alone. Vice versa. Basically, exercise will be beneficial if you can do it consistently with a routine. Therefore, choose a time when you can do it consistently with ease.

Things that must be considered for night sports

If you don't have time to do exercise in the morning, in fact, exercise from evening to night is not a problem for your health. It is still much better than not exercising at all.

Although it is okay to exercise at night, it is advisable not to exercise too late, as it can interfere with sleep and affect the quality of your sleep. When you finish exercising, you shouldn't go to sleep right away. Give 1-1.5 hours of time between exercise time and your bedtime.

When exercising at night, don't forget to warm up too. When finished, still need to cool down and stretch, don't go to sleep.

In principle, whether in the morning or at night, when exercising do not exceed the limits of your ability and body condition. If you are not used to exercising, start exercising by doing light physical activity.