What time of day do you exercise?

[Jo]

What time of day do you exercise?

Is the time you work out the best time for you and your body, or is it the time that works for your schedule?  

My vacation is over tomorrow and I’m putting workouts down in my calendar before work fills up and takes over all those times. For me, mornings are easiest to make sure stuff gets done but my body is at its best working out during daylight hours. Alas, my employer has other ideas about that time...

[vcubergirl]

I take DS to preschool and then hit the gym! It works really well for me. I occasionally hit up an evening yoga class, but I prefer to not do too much in the evenings, if I get my heart rate too high I have trouble falling asleep.

[goldengirlz]

On weekdays, I generally go after work, around 5.

On the weekends, it really depends and could be any time. When the stars align, though, my favorite time to exercise is around 10 am. I like to sleep in and have a leisurely breakfast and then workout before I do anything else.

[breezy8407]

Typically at noon M-F. I am very lucky to be able to workout in the middle of the workday. If I have a lunch meeting, I can go before work, but then H has to be okay with getting kids ready.

Weekends between 8am - noon.

[sadlebred]

Daylight Saving Time
Weekends: 8am-noon. Could be longer or shorter. Times vary a bit depending on where we are riding, what we are doing, distance, is it an organized ride/event/race, etc.
Weeknights: Start either around 5:15-7:00 if I ride by myself or 6:30-8:15 if doing a group ride.

Standard Time.
Weekends: 10 am-2 pm to let it warm up a bit. If there is a race, that time varies.
Weeknights: 5:30-6ish. Whenever I can get on the stationary trainer.

[al320]

It varies based on my schedule.

Swim is in the morning, so i have no option there. If i wfh i try to workout during lunch, or after swim and before work, but it generally defaults to evening. All other days/workouts, evening. On the weekends, generally morning.

[Wines Not Whines]

Usually early morning before work, out of necessity. I try to go to the gym at work at least twice a week on my lunch break, too.

The timing is based on what works for my schedule. My personal preference would be to exercise a little later in the morning, like around 8 or 9 am, so I could sleep later. But I have to be at work at 8 am, so that doesn’t work for me.

[gt7301b]

This week I have workouts planned in the morning, at lunch, and after work. It is a combination of what works for my schedule/class availability/ child care. I usually do daycare drop off so I have limited ability to workout in the morning, but over the summer my husband is home so I have much more flexibility.

[labbie]

I started early mornings because of my schedule, but I've grown to prefer it because when I run it's so peaceful outside. Also I have trouble going once I'm dressed/doing other things. In an ideal world, I'd be up and workout early and then shower and take a nap/relax with coffee vs. getting ready for work. Someday!!

[mrshandy]

Summer definitely between 6 and 8 am.

Winter I will maybe push it later if my schedule allows on the weekends.

I do find 6-7AM my sweet spot for working out. I like to get it done and get started with my day. I want to see the kids in the morning and not always leave H to hang out with them. I try to make one weekend day as a rest day so I can sleep in a little and enjoy some morning time with the kids, especially DD. She is super snuggly and sweet in the morning.

[brooke77]

It varies.

Weeknights - After DS goes to bed at 7:30. He wakes up between 5:30 to 6 and LOL forever that I would wake up to workout before he gets up. I would have to be up at 3:30 to get in a workout and shower if I wanted to do that.

Weekends - Ideally mornings, around 7 or 8.

[eddy]

5:30 AM

Anything later and there is a good chance I will just not go.

I don’t think physically it is the best time for me to workout. I have done workouts later in the morning and performed way better. But mentally and schedule wise it is the best time.

I am worthless when I try to complete evening workouts.

[lilypad1126]

I used to be a before work exerciser - like, years and years of M-F working out at 6am. But now at this job, where I start at 8 instead of 9, I am much more of an after work exerciser. I prefer mornings, because my H is still asleep and I'm not "missing" family time with him, whereas when I go after work, I feel like I'm short changing him. However, we're adjusting and just making it work because getting up consistently at 5am just isn't working for me right now.

I don't know if after work is better for my body than before work. But it's better for my mental health right now, so I'm going with it.

[oswin]

I drop the kids off at school/daycare and go to an 8:30 CrossFit class. This may change when DD starts elementary school in a couple of weeks.

[libbygrl109]

Since I'm still on summer vacation, my runs are in the morning, before 9am. Once I'm back to work in September, they'll happen either as soon as I get home around 4pm, or while DS is in his karate class. Kickboxing is always in the evening.

[minzy]

These days, mid-morning is mostly when I exercise. I usually can’t go very early because my husband leaves for work at 5:30 or 6am and I can’t yet leave both kids alone. So I go right after they go to school. I don’t like waiting later in the day because I am often doing volunteer things or errands midday and more activities in the evening, and I really prefer not to have to make myself “presentable” more than once. Going late in the day messes me up, too. If I drink even a sip of anything past about 5:30 or 6pm, I guarantee myself an overnight wake up to pee (and sometimes can’t fall back asleep right away) so prefer to avoid that if I can help it. If I worked, we’d probably switch off early mornings.

[doctoranda]

I adjust workouts to the weather: in the summer earlier so it is not too hot, in the winter I go a bit later. I do it mostly in the morning since it fits best with my schedule but I don't think my body really likes morning workouts. I used to run in the late afternoons and I liked that a lot but that was in a place where it does not get as hot as where I live now. Also I am too exhausted when I come home in the afternoon compared to years ago.