If you could design your daily schedule exactly the way you wanted it, when would you fit in your exercise? Are there benefits to exercising earlier in the day as opposed to later? In some ways, the early birds have some advantages.
If you exercise in the morning, you are more likely to get the workout done. Leaving your workout until later leaves room for distractions that can derail your routine. Also, your morning energy level may be higher, which can be channeled into a longer and more strenuous exercise session. As the day goes along, we have less energy and can lose motivation to work out.
Our internal clocks respond more favorably to morning exercise. Exercising late in the day can actually disrupt our sleep patterns. After participating in sleep studies, morning exercisers demonstrated a better night’s sleep. One of the results of being sleep deprived is a tendency to overeat, due to hormonal imbalances that occur with poor sleep. Morning exercise may play a role in maintaining a healthy weight.
Sometimes our schedules just don’t allow for an early workout, but the exercise is still beneficial. If you notice episodes of sleeping difficulties or your weight isn’t responding to all your hard work in the gym, consider finding a way to work out earlier in the day. It might be the way to skip fewer workouts, get your weight loss back on track, and sleep more soundly. And you just might catch a beautiful Montana sunrise!
--Dr. Kate Kennedy, ND