Health & Fitness
What Time Is Workout Time?
Research shows that we are at our most energetic in late afternoon.
Weight loss is not directly related to the amount of time spent lifting weights or doing cardio, nor the time of day.
Research on exercise and time of day is growing, but still limited and and not without controversy.
In general, if you can find a time for exercise that you can stick with consistently, you will be much more likely to train regularly and get better results.
Some people are just naturally morning people. They have no trouble exercising first thing in the morning.
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Others don't get moving so quickly and are more likely to feel like exercising later in the day.
If you have such an obvious preference, it's pretty easy to decide what sort of exercise schedule you might stick with.
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The interesting thing is that research shows that no matter when you think you are better able to exercise, almost all of us are, in fact, physically stronger and have more endurance in the late afternoon.
Currently, research at the University of Connecticut is focused on our circadian rhythms, which point to us having the greatest amount of energy at 4 p.m. in the afternoon.
But no matter what research says, the most important thing affecting your weight loss is your consistency and compliance with your workout. To make it work, you need to work out 4-6 days a week for 30-60 minutes, without skipping.
You simply need a weekly 3,500 caloric deficit—500 per day— to burn a pound of fat.
To to that, you either need to eat 500 fewer calories in a day or burn 500 calories in a day. The most effective is a combination of both.
Look at your daily nutrition and remove the highest caloric items... If you have a bagel, nix it. Wine, soda, or sweets: cut them out. Extras—things like cheese, mayo and guacamole—get rid of them.
Add in 30 minutes of daily exercise, making sure the workout is difficult enough to challenge your body. Alternate weight training and cardio at least 5 days a week.
Making small changes in your diet to eat whole balanced food, mostly fruits and vegetables with lean meats, will ultimately lead to great success!
