There is no unequivocal answer to the question "when is it better to run, in the morning or in the evening" - in defense of both options there are many advantages, but there are also disadvantages. Psychologists recommend listening to your own body and going for a run at the most comfortable time. In order for sport to bring the desired result, it must be enjoyable - that is why it is so important to select the most optimal hours for it. But what time is better to run - ask yourself, it is likely that you do not choose either evening or morning and happily run through the park in the afternoon.
To make it easier to decide, we will give you the advantages and disadvantages of each schedule, and tell you what time it is best to run, in the morning or in the evening, depending on your goal.
If you run in the morning: benefits and harms
A little later we will tell you what time of day it is better to run, in the morning or in the evening for weight loss - at which hours calories are burned faster, and now, we will consider the benefits, namely, morning runs:
- Running in the morning helps to "wake up" metabolic processes. If you run regularly, your metabolism will work much better;
- It is no secret that morning exercises invigorate and energize;
- Appetite is stimulated. After training, you always want to eat, so if you don't eat well in the morning, go to the stadium early;
- Getting up early in the name of sport is great for raising self-esteem - you must admit that not everyone is capable of this!
- During running, the hormone of joy endorphin is produced, therefore, if you ask: jogging in the morning or in the evening, which is better and more effective, we will choose the first, because a good mood is the key to a high-quality and productive working day.
Let's continue to choose the best time to run, and move on to the disadvantages of morning workouts:
- People for whom an early rise is a disaster put the body under extreme stress;
- Intense muscle soreness training will remind you of yourself throughout the day;
- For morning exercises, a person will have to move the rise time 1.5 - 2 hours back, which is fraught with regular lack of sleep.
Please note that on our website you can find a detailed article on running in the morning. In it, we have collected as much information as possible on how to exercise correctly in the morning in order to achieve maximum effect, and how useful it is.
If you run in the evening: benefits and harms
So, when is it better to run - in the morning or in the evening, let's move on to analyzing the benefits of an evening sprint:
- Jogging is great for calming the nerves, so it can serve as both an antidepressant and a relaxing agent. Sometimes, after a difficult day, we really need both;
- Running in the evening helps to relieve tension and discharge, throw out the accumulated negativity and stress;
- Running in the evening helps a lot for insomnia.
In search of the truth in the question "when can you run, in the morning or in the evening", we came to the lack of training at the end of the working day:
- Sometimes, after a hard day, there is simply no energy left for an evening sprint, and you probably still have household chores at home;
- You can't eat before training, so you won't be able to grab a quick snack and run out onto the track. If we consider that the last meal was at lunchtime, then by the evening you will be very hungry and you will simply not have the strength to run.
When is the best time to run for weight loss?
Now let's finally look at when to run, morning or evening, to lose weight - what do nutritionists say about this? There is no unequivocal answer to this question - there are two polar points of view, each of which has the right to life:
- When a person runs in the morning, before breakfast, in order to get energy, the body turns to the accumulated fats, thereby, they go away faster;
- If you run in the evening, the process of burning extra pounds continues all night, and also, in this way, the athlete gets rid of the extra calories eaten during the day. By the way, do you know how many calories are consumed while running?
To summarize, we emphasize that both types of runners lose weight as a result, but only if they adhere to a healthy diet, run on an empty stomach, exercise regularly and gradually increase the load.
What is Better for Health?
What time do you think it is better to run for the heart, in the morning or in the evening, but before answering, think about the benefits of such activities? The main thing to remember in this connection is that the benefits of running are completely independent of the time of day. In short, regular exercise leads to the following:
- Immunity is strengthened;
- Improves the cardiovascular and respiratory systems;
- The metabolism is stabilized, with sweat slags and toxins are removed;
- Muscles are strengthened, forms are improved;
- The mood rises.
Remember, “when to do” is not the only question you must face. Another important point: "How long should you run?"
Biorhythm research
Running in any case is useful and it does not matter what time you go out on the track. Biorhythm studies have revealed the best intervals in the day when you can run in the morning and evening in order to achieve the best results:
- from 6 to 7 am;
- from 10 to 12;
- from 5 to 7 pm.
Try to "fit" your runs into these time intervals, and your workouts will hit the bull's eye. By the way, it is not always correct to run in the morning or in the evening - there is a wide category of people who find it more convenient to do it during the day.
Everyone knows about "owls" and "larks", the first go to bed late, the second get up early. It is clear, yes, at what time is it more convenient for them to play sports? Did you know that modern scientists tend to identify another category of people who are somewhere in between? They are called "pigeons" - these people do not accept falling asleep late, and cannot get up very early. It is more convenient for them to run during the day and such a schedule is also considered normal.
So, let's summarize all of the above: what should you focus on in order to understand what time of day is better for beginners to run?
- Listen to your biological clock;
- Match their schedule with your daily routine;
- Make sure you can actually exercise during the hours of your choice without stress or damage to the nervous system;
- Make sure you don't move too far in your waking or lights-out hours.
We hope you understand that it is simply not possible to answer which run is better, morning or evening, and this question is slightly incorrect. The very fact that you play sports is already a plus. Try to turn this activity into a favorite habit, no matter what time of day you spend on it. In order for classes to be useful, you need to think not when is the best to run, in the morning or in the evening, but how to do it correctly, which program to choose and how to master the correct technique (and it doesn't matter if it is running on the spot or cross-country cross-country). Be healthy!