Best Time To Exercise or Work Out

Rachna was a health conscious person, well aware of the benefits of exercising. She regularly went to the gym to work out but wondered why she returned home feeling tired and irritated instead of exploding with energy. When she explained her schedule to me, I realized what the problem was.

Every morning, as the alarm went off, Rachana would drag herself out of bed, wear her gym gear and head for the gym. Since she slept late, neither was her sleep complete nor was her body ready to exercise. The forced workout at the gym naturally didn’t do her any good.

What is the Best Time to Work Out?

Like Rachna, many people believe that mornings are the best time to work out. Many others swear that an evening workout is the best time of the day to exercise. So, what is the perfect time to exercise? Fact is, the best time is the one that suits your body cycle and is most convenient for you. Only then will you be able to do full justice to your work out.

Morning Exercise for Weight Loss

If you happen to be a morning person which means you have high energy levels on waking up then morning exercise is the is the best time to exercise to lose weight for you. The cardinal rule is that if you exercise when your metabolism is high, you will burn more calories.

The same activity will help you burn more calories if you exercise in the morning rather than in the evening as according to your body cycle you feel more energetic in the morning. You will also be happier doing your work out rather than drag yourself through the whole routine.

The same rule holds good for a person who wakes up feeling tired but is energetic in the evening at about 8 p.m. Then evening is the time for such a person and he may burn more calories when his metabolism is high.

What is the Best Time to Exercise?

Another way to get some extra ‘burn’ is to go for a brisk walk after about an hour or two of eating a light meal. So what is the best time of the day to exercise by going for a brisk walk?

Well, light exercising after a meal enhances calorie burning. When you eat something, your body has to work to digest the food. Normally, around 10 percent of the calories of the food you’ve eaten is burnt up by the digestion process.

However, you can double the number of calories burnt if, for instance, you take a short walk after your meal. So if your meal contained 1000 calories, normal digestion will utilize 100 calories, but if you walk for around 2km after your meal, you’ll lose 200 calories.

If you are finding it difficult to lose weight even on a strict diet, try doing some physical activity around mealtimes; it could be of great help to you. The bottom-line is that exercise benefits you greatly. So now that you know the best time to exercise, ensure you indulge in some form or the other daily!

While daily exercise will surely help you lose weight effectively, a personalized diet can be even more effective in helping you lose weight and keeping it off!

ANJALI MUKERJEE, Nutritionist, Founder Director-Health Total, having health centers
in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune -manages obesity & other health related disorders.
Contact numbers: 1800 8918131/+91 86575 61727
For further information, Visit www.health-total.com