Which is better – morning or evening workouts? I’m a health journalist who tried both – here’s what I discovered

It’s a debate that’s been raging in the fitness world for decades: is it better to exercise in the morning or at night?

Early risers will tell you that there’s nothing like working up a sweat as the sun rises before they’ve been sitting at a desk for eight hours.

But night owls will love how exercising in the dark helps them release the stress of the day.

Both groups can pick scientific studies to support their claims.

A 2024 study in Australia showed that people who exercise at night have a lower risk of developing heart disease and death than those who exercise in the morning.

While a 2021 study concluded that morning exercise is better for weight loss – because you’re moving more.

Personally, I’ve always been a morning exerciser, so I’m not afraid of doing this after a long day at work.

But I was curious if I could change up my routine and pull myself out of a training slump after slacking off for the past month.

I also thought that before a vacation to Italy I should participate in some physical activity that involved lots of carbs and gelato.

I took a 6:30 pm class after work at the SLT fitness studio in downtown New York City, which offers a mix of Pilates, cardio and strength training

So I started a two-week experiment. One week I would train at night and the next week I would stick to my usual AM routine.

Here’s how it went.

ON TO A ROCKY START-OFF

The first Monday I was supposed to start my fitness routine after work, I actually forgot to exercise when I got home because I’m so used to finishing my workouts in the morning.

I realized this while on an after-dinner walk with my dog, so I decided this would be my workout and we ran 1.5 miles together.

I felt guilty for skipping it, but my dog ​​enjoyed the extra long walk.

The next day I was determined to actually workout, so I went for a (very slow) jog.

Running isn’t one of my favorite exercises, but the weather was nice and I went two miles along the Hudson River.

It was nice to run with the sunset, but I was very tired and couldn’t help but think this was affecting how effective my jog was – especially as it took me about an extra two minutes per mile than my usual time frame of nine minutes.

I was also extra hungry by the time the food rolled around. I hadn’t eaten since 1pm and was expending energy and calories running.

This meant I was definitely eating too much. What was supposed to be a dinner of just chickpeas and vegetables also turned out to include popcorn, hummus and sour cream and onion crackers.

Plus, at 8:30 PM, this was 90 minutes later than my usual dinner time and too close to my 9:30 PM bedtime for me to properly digest.

LIFE GETS IN THE WAY

On the first night of my evening fitness routine, I forgot to exercise, so I took a long walk with my dog

On Wednesday I had a doctor’s appointment at 6:30 PM and by the time I got home 90 minutes later, I was resigned to the fact that a workout wasn’t in the plans.

Skipping exercise made me feel guilty, but it also made me realize that working out in the evening created too many opportunities for my fitness routine to clash with my schedule, making it easier to apologize for not exercising.

To get myself motivated for a PM workout the next evening, I signed up for SLT, a boutique fitness class that’s a mix of Pilates, cardio, and strength training.

I looked forward to it all day, but by the time it rolled around 6:30 am I was tired and hungry.

The workout gave me a buzz and thank goodness for my energetic trainer, Amy, who helped me master more advanced moves.

After class, Amy told me that she is personally a fan of evening workouts because she needs them[s] my mornings will be a little slower.”

But Zoe, another instructor at SLT, told me that some people find it harder to train in the evening because they think ‘it’s time to go home’, when in the morning they’re ready to get up. and to exercise. Get out of the house so it might seem easier to end it.

Cardiologist Dr. Erik Van Iterson told Cleveland Clinic if you exercise at night can disrupt your ability to fall asleep and recommends exercising at least an hour before you plan to go to bed.

Although I loved the workout while I was in it, I knew I still had to travel 35 minutes home and then eat.

HANGRY ALEXA HAS JOINED THE CHAT

When I walked in the door just after 8 p.m., my husband immediately noticed how irritable I was because I hadn’t eaten since lunch and all I wanted to do was go to bed.

He was cooking dinner and I kept asking how long it would take before it was ready. He told me that “hangry Alexa” needed to “chill out” and for the sake of our marriage, he suggested I stop working out in the evenings.

Monday and Tuesday of my morning workout week include two Peloton barre classes at home

As my after-work workout came to a close on Friday, I was so sore from the previous night’s class that all I could muster up the energy for was a low-impact, 20-minute digital Peloton yoga class in my living room and a quick stretching session before calling it a day.

I rested for the weekend and was excited to get back to my usual early morning routine.

Despite my personal aversion to a PM fitness routine, people can reap the benefits of it just like evening workouts associated with increased flexibility and improved aerobic performance and strength.

SWEATING BEFORE THE SUNRISE

Bright and early Monday morning, I got up and took a digital Peloton barre class in my apartment. I had no problem rolling out of bed at 6 a.m. and laying on my workout mat for 30 minutes.

The same was true on Tuesday. One of the reasons I wake up so early is to give myself enough time in the morning. So after my workouts I can make a protein shake, shower, get dressed, have breakfast and drink coffee.

And the benefits of AM workouts extend beyond my routine.

The exercise in the morning is over associated with lower blood pressure, better sleep and greater weight loss because morning exercise improves fat burning and appetite suppression – although I refuse to stick to a number on the scale and don’t weigh myself regularly.

I love morning time for myself and find it really centers me before I start the day.

On Wednesday I went to Club Pilates for a 6am class. Luckily the studio is next to my apartment, so the commute wasn’t bad, but it was a little jarring to go outside while it was still dark.

I walked across the street from my apartment for a 6am Pilates class

On Friday I went to another pre-sunset workout, this time in reverse [solidcore]also across the street from my apartment

However, I loved the communal mentality that everyone in the class had. No one wanted to get up at the crack of dawn, but we were committed and felt camaraderie in making a difficult choice before the rest of the city was even awake.

It’s also fun getting to know your ‘6 am crew’ and looking forward to seeing training buddies, which motivates me to get out of bed.

My building has a great gym, so on Thursday I took advantage of that and did a 30 minute HiiT workout at 6:30 am. I loved working up a sweat and feeling extra productive while everyone else was just rolling out of bed.

And even though it was a tough workout, I didn’t feel tired; I actually had more energy.

Friday there was another 6 hour lesson, this time in reverse [solidcore]a Pilates-type workout class.

The energetic music, the packed class and my instructor, Geena, really got me going. As difficult as the training is, I was very proud of myself for doing something so rigorous before the sun came out.

My 5:30am workout meant I had the gym to myself

Geena told me that she prefers to exercise in the morning because exercising wakes up her mind and body, so if she does it too late in the day, she finds it hard to fall asleep — and I agreed.

As my two week experiment came to an end with the last piece of hamstring in my [solidcore] During class I thought back to my experiment.

I find that if I exercise in the morning, I’m in a better mood for the rest of the day thanks to the rush of endorphins – the happiness hormones produced by exercise.

I also tend to make healthier decisions. I just worked hard for an hour, why ruin it with a greasy pizza for lunch?

But the week I worked out in the evening, I found myself saying, “Well, I’m going to work out tonight, so I’ll burn these fries later.”

And while my dog ​​may have enjoyed our walking training, my husband definitely did not enjoy my sour mood.

Combine that with my lack of motivation, conflicts with after-work plans, and memory lapses during training, it’s safe to say I’ll continue to set my alarm for early morning practice.