Ayurveda considers the morning to be the best time to exercise, but many find the thought of waking up early to workout exhausting in itself.
Traditionally, farmers would wake up very early and do most of their physical labor in the cool morning hours, before it got too hot. In Ayurveda, the first four hours after sunrise are the kapha hours of the day — when physical strength, endurance, and stamina are at their greatest.
Now, we have a handful of studies in the realm of Circadian Medicine that support this ancient wisdom! (1-5)
Recently, my middle school-aged daughter asked if she could join me at the gym in the morning before school. Getting to the gym by 6am meant we would be driving to the gym in the dark.
When we entered the gym parking lot, the lot was packed with cars. My daughter said, “Dad, what is going on here?! Why are there so many cars here?”
I told her, “It sounds crazy, but the gym is most busy in the morning!” I then told her about the circadian rhythms. When we get in sync with them, we naturally prefer to follow them.
This interaction inspired me to search for some studies backing the benefits of morning exercise. These studies may help motivate you to get up early and hit the gym, yoga mat or take that brisk morning walk!
5 Reasons Morning Exercise is Better than Evening Exercise
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Better Blood Sugar Regulation
In one study, morning exercise showed a lower risk of daytime hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) compared to afternoon exercise. After a 24-hour follow-up, morning exercise improved metabolic control and blood sugar on the subsequent day. (1)
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Improved Parasympathetic Tone
Morning exercise was compared to evening exercise based on the amount of parasympathetic (rest, repair and digest) vs. sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system activation delivered.
Morning exercise increased parasympathetic activity, while evening exercise boosted sympathetic activity. This suggests that evening exercise is more degenerative and stressful, and morning exercise is more rejuvenating and sustainable. (2)
Note: My research on nose breathing vs. mouth breathing exercise had the same results.
Most sleep concerns are due to an inability to dial down stress hormones, like cortisol, in order to effectively sedate the body and go to sleep. According to this study, increasing evening exercise would only exacerbate the sleep issue.
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Better Lung Capacity and Endurance
The endurance exercise capacity of men during exhaustive cycling exercise at 65% peak lung capacity or VO2 was significantly greater in the morning than in the evening. (3)
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Less Daytime Hunger
In another study with fifty women, morning exercise delivered better daytime satiety or less daytime hunger than afternoon exercise. This suggests that a morning workout, yoga or a walk, may stave off overeating later on in the day. (4)
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Increased Afternoon Strength
Some studies suggest that strength is greater in the afternoon, others suggest morning strength may be greater. (1) I think many people do feel more limber and, thus, stronger as the day goes on.
One study comparing morning and afternoon exercise showed that morning exercise significantly boosted the strength and performance during a second afternoon workout. Perhaps the best way to prepare for an afternoon game is to do a light morning workout. (5)
Try It Yourself!
Each morning, do 4 one-minute sets of jumping jacks as fast as you comfortably can with one minute of rest between each set. See how you feel after just a few days of doing this simple 8-minute workout.
With a 2-minute warm-up and cool-down, you have my favorite 12-minute workout.
There is no better time to start a new routine than now!
I used to wake up and do various aerobics first thing in the morning. Sometimes I regretted it; this isn’t so good for vata, when you’re feeling spread thin and stressed. But for the most part I benefited! Just getting that first sweat going and then a hot shower… nothing better to melt accumulated congestion and really wake up! The idea is that many of your organs have been accumulating toxic biproducts of metabolism while you slept, in order to speed the process of recuperation by focusing on building tissues. This along with lighter breathing when asleep can cause an accumulation of kapha and ama – particularly that associated with the liver and bowels. A little heavy breathing and movement in the morning is a great natural cleanser, and one of the less-appreciated staples to health! Thinking back, I used to do a lot of camping and wilderness forays, and there was rarely a time when I didn’t get to breathing heavy in the AM. Morning activity is one of the most natural things we miss out on in our world of luxuries and conveniences. For those of you who need your morning cup of coffee, something like JD is suggesting (with the jumping jacks) is a superb way to gradually push closer to health! So long as you’re not a very thin and dry type I mean, which might rather call for a gentle sunrise walk.
Now I live on the third story of an apartment complex… suppose I’ll have to find a way to get moving without waking my neighbors!
Perhaps the lack of viewers had something to do with the lack of daytime coverage. I used to be able to watch the Olympics during the day, no later than 11:00 a.m. on weekdays and 12:00 p.m. on weekends. I know that now a lot of people just follow what they want online, but I used to be glued to the tv or the radio during the Olympics, as much of the day as possible. We watched all the medal ceremonies, and shared the pride of the Olympians who represented their countries. I noticed that this Olympics as well as the winter Olympics 4 years ago, there are so few medal ceremonies. I don”t want to watch them online, I want to watch them on the TV with my family. I thoroughly enjoyed the events that I watched this winter. But Perhaps NBC should run more events during the daytime as they have in the past. Everyone can live for 2 weeks without daytime soaps and talk-shows. The Olympics don”t happen that often, just pick up regular programming when the Olympics are finished. custom writing
What about working out at lunch time 12-1 pm? This is the time that I have already built into my work schedule, so I’m not losing sleep by getting up earlier to exercise.
Great article:) Thank you From an Integrative Health coach and Nurse
Experience has taught that the time of birth is when running is known to be an agreed upon, self engaged action that can mimic a birth-
IOW birth time(s) that happen to correspond with Vata afternoon periods like 16:40 are no less beneficial in start time than a self engaged 6 AM kapha type AM person because the idea is simply a belief and thought in heads akin to US gym periods that dogmaticly cater only to a Vata or pitta type activity; golf and gardening knot applicable regardless that both are known to be equally beneficial-
Race ing regularly at 8, 9 and noon start(s) time that are NEVER set at 16:40 … so there does exist that known fact-
Thank you for the belief information-
Fwiw-
Such a amazing post dear.