THE BEST TIME TO EXERCISE

Not everyone agrees on the best time to exercise Some studies suggest that mornings are best Others say afternoon or after dinner Most agree that late-night exercise particularly if it’s too vigorous (such as intense running or resistance training), will keep you awake.

In a study at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, only participants who exercised in the morning experienced the beneficial effects on sleep. Those who exercised in the evening actually had more trouble falling asleep.

One possible explanation as to why morning exercise helps sleep is that it may affect the body’s circadian rhythms, which affect sleep quality (Circadian rhythms are the patterns our body repeats in a twenty four hour cycle) Morning exercise may get the body clock in alignment and evening exercise may upset it More research is needed to confirm this theory. However, we suggest that you do more strenuous exercises earlier in the day or at least three hours before you go to bed, as these activities tend to rev up the metabolism and may keep you awake at night The best evening exercises are those that involve stretching, relaxing, and breathing.