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- Exercising at any time of day is beneficial, but the timing of your workouts may affect your outcomes.
- Some research suggests that people who exercise in the morning may achieve better weight-loss results and have a lower risk of certain diseases.
- Evening workouts may be better for people with diabetes or those with athletic performance-related goals.
"Lack of time” is one of the most common reasons why people say they don’t get enough exercise, so it makes sense why you'd want to make the most of every second of your workout. There are lots of ways to optimize your fitness routine. However, time of day doesn't play a huge role—completing a morning or evening sweat session should be considered a win.
That being said, there are a few potential perks that are unique to morning exercise and to evening exercise. These timing-specific benefits could help you optimize your routine if you have a little more flexibility in your schedule.
The Benefits of Working Out in the Morning
Though the best time to exercise is whenever your schedule allows, working out first thing in the morning has its own benefits.
1. Fewer Disruptions and Better Mood
Working out before your day officially starts means you may be less likely to be interrupted or distracted. There’s a sense that your to-do list can wait, since you're not yet "on the clock." Plus, even if you're a bit groggy in the mornings, you likely won't feel as mentally or physically fatigued as you would after a long day of work or errands.
Research also shows that mood and well-being peak in the morning. Everyone is different, but you may find that you have a better attitude about working out in the morning than in the evening.
2. Possible Lower Risk of Cardiometabolic Disease
A recently-published study, which examined health data from nearly 15,000 participants, concluded that people who exercised in the morning had better markers of cardiometabolic health than those who exercised later in the day. Specifically, frequent early-in-the-day workouts were associated with a lower risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol.
While the differences were significant, the authors noted that the study only showed an association between habitual morning exercise and lower cardiometabolic disease risk. This means it's not clear that exercising in the morning directly caused these benefits. Also, the study is a preprint, so it hasn't yet been reviewed by other experts.
3. Effective Weight Management
Research on the relationship between exercise timing and weight management is somewhat mixed. However, there’s some evidence that morning exercise may be more effective.
One national survey of over 5,000 participants found that people who exercised in the morning tended to have a lower body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference as compared to midday and evening exercisers. The study authors concluded that exercising between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. in particular led to the best outcomes for those with obesity.
Another study found that working out in the morning may have a favorable impact on appetite and eating behaviors, leading to fewer calories consumed later in the day.
The Benefits of Working Out in the Evening
If getting up early isn't really your thing, evening exercise is also effective—and comes with its own set of unique benefits (especially for athletes).
1. Blood Sugar Benefits
For people with type 2 diabetes, or for anyone else watching their blood sugar levels, evening exercise may be the better choice.
Multiple studies have concluded that late-in-the-day exercise may lead to greater blood sugar control for people with type 2 diabetes. The same results weren't seen with morning exercise—in some cases, earlier exercise appeared to raise blood sugar levels.
2. Stress Relief
In the afternoon or evening, hitting the gym, going for a walk, taking a yoga class, or lifting weights at home can relieve stress and help you transition from “work mode” to “downtime.”
Though many people believe evening exercise can amp you up and disrupt sleep, there's research indicating the opposite—later workouts could actually help improve sleep quality, as long as you don't do a high-intensity workout within an hour of bedtime.
3. Performance-Related Gains
Looking to crush your next strength session? Some research suggests that a late afternoon or evening workout may give you an edge.
One 2022 meta-analysis found that participants' power and jump height peaked between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., and hand-grip strength was strongest after 2 p.m.
While this could be helpful for athletes trying to time competitions around their best performance, the study didn't necessarily conclude that these strength peaks lead to better workout results over time. Still, working out when you're feeling your strongest might help you push your limits during a workout.
4. Potential for Better Endurance
Regularly running, biking, swimming, or doing any other sustained cardio exercise naturally improves your endurance and VO2 max (the measure of how efficiently your body utilizes oxygen). However, there’s some evidence that training in the evening may amplify your gains.
In one small study of young male cyclists, researchers found that men who biked in the evenings tended to have better fitness and endurance markers as compared to morning riders.
However, the research is mixed—another review of studies concluded that morning and evening exercisers had no significant difference in their fitness and endurance.
Other Important Factors To Consider When You're Timing Your Workouts
Remember: The ideal time to exercise is whenever works best for you. But in addition to considering different perks associated with morning or evening exercise, there are a few other things to keep in mind when you're creating your workout schedule:
- Natural sleep tendencies: Whether you’re an “early bird” or “night owl” is influenced in part by your genetics. It's possible to change your habits, but exercising at a time when you naturally have the most energy may help you stick to a routine.
- Work, family, and social commitments: Maybe you’d prefer to exercise in the morning, but your schedule won’t allow it—that’s fine! Do what you can and don’t worry too much about maintaining a "perfect" schedule.
- Preferences and enjoyment: When you enjoy exercise, you’re far more likely to actually do it. If your local run club meets up on weeknights, that’s a great reason to exercise in the evening. If your favorite spin class is at 6 a.m., set your alarm to rise and shine.
