Running is the most accessible and budget sport that can be practiced at any age. To start running, you don’t need special equipment or space. This sport does not require any special skills, and an ordinary park, stadium or embankment is suitable for training. During the cold season, you can use a treadmill in the gym. Jogging helps burn extra calories, improve health and mood due to the release of endorphins. But when is it better to go jogging: in the morning or in the evening? Let's try to find out.
What time of day is best to run for weight loss?
Jogging helps burn calories, get rid of excess weight, strengthen the immune system and muscle corset, develop the lungs, and improve the shape of the legs. For training to lead to results, it must be done regularly: at least three times a week, and preferably daily. It is optimal if they occur at the same time of day, so that the body gets used to constant stress and considers running as normal.
What time of day is best to run for weight loss?
What is the best time to go jogging to lose weight? It is believed that morning running helps to get a boost of energy and finally wake up, but for many, getting up early and doing physical activity at the beginning of the day is a huge stress. It’s hard to get up for work in the morning, and you’ll have to get up even earlier to go jogging. The body has not yet fully woken up and is not prepared for physical activity. For this reason, most people prefer to run at the end of the working day.
Among professional athletes and trainers, there is no clear answer as to what time is the best time to run to lose weight. Some argue that it is better to exercise in the morning, since in the morning hours immediately after sleep, the body has to take energy from fat reserves in the body. Others recommend running before bed to kick-start fat burning throughout the night. Despite discussions about the best time to workout, everyone loses weight: both those who exercise in the morning and those who jog in the evening. But for effective weight loss, jogging should be done regularly and on an empty stomach: at least three hours should pass since the last meal. If you have time and energy, you can do short runs both in the morning and in the evening to achieve the fastest results.
Is it necessary to run every day?
Daily jogging is a reason for joy. You were able to overcome yourself and take up sports seriously. But is it necessary to run every day or can you limit yourself to a few workouts a week? Both options are fine.
Running every day is useful if your goal is to achieve athletic results, tone muscles or lose weight. In this case, constant load will have a positive effect and speed up the process of achieving results. But one day of rest during the training week should be present.
If your goal is to build muscle in your buttocks and thighs, then daily running is not suitable. In order for muscles to grow, they need to be given rest. Limit yourself to 3-4 runs per week. The rest of the time, just rest or train other areas of the body.
Running in the morning and evening: pros and cons
Jogging in the morning and evening: pros and cons
Morning and evening jogging have their advantages and disadvantages.
The benefits of running in the morning
- Starting metabolic processes inhibited after a night's sleep.
- Get an extra boost of energy thanks to muscle tone.
- Improved appetite. Many people complain of poor appetite in the morning. After a running workout, significant energy costs arise, so you will need to replenish the body's spent resources.
- Raising self-esteem. After a morning run, people often look more energetic and fresher than their colleagues, which gives a feeling of some advantage.
- Getting a good mood and energy for the whole day thanks to the production of endorphin (“the hormone of happiness”) while running.
Disadvantages of running in the morning
- Stress for an unawakened body.
- You have to get up 1-2 hours earlier than usual, which can result in lack of sleep.
- Tired muscles, body pain during the working day.
The benefits of running in the evening
- Relieving stress after a hard day at work, getting rid of negative thoughts. Running is known to help calm the nervous system.
- Discharge. Relieving fatigue.
- Prevention of insomnia, good sleep. After running in the fresh air, the muscles are relaxed, so you fall asleep quickly and easily.
Disadvantages of running in the evenings
- Fatigue after a hard day at work. After a run, you may not have any energy left for your family and household chores.
- Hunger. A lot of time has passed since work lunch, so you have to choose: jogging or dinner?
Evening jog
Running in the evening, like in the morning, has advantages and disadvantages. You should explore the benefits of both options to choose the one that's right for you. Some experts, studying the question of what time of day is best to run, believe that morning workouts are dangerous for the heart and health in general, so it is worth doing them at the end of the day, when the body is warmed up. But the negative effects of jogging in the morning can be prevented by pre-exercising.
An evening workout helps you relax and switch after a hard day. It is better to choose recreational running or jogging. If you study not too late, your sleep will be sound and healthy. Loads should be chosen moderate, especially for beginners.
Rules for jogging in the evening:
- Training should be carried out regularly and systematically - it is worth clearly designating the time and days of running. You need to determine a schedule and try to follow it;
- The jogging time should be increased gradually, and the types of running should be chosen calm;
- The answer to the question of what time of day is best to run is ambiguous. Running before going to bed is definitely not beneficial. There is a risk of sleep problems and depression.
Which running is healthier: morning or evening?
Which running is healthier: in the morning or in the evening
? The health benefits of running have been repeatedly proven. In the absence of medical contraindications, regular exercise has the following benefits:
- Strengthening the immune system;
- Improving the functioning of the respiratory system;
- Cardiovascular training;
- Prevention of atherosclerosis, hypertension and other diseases;
- General improvement of the human body.
At what time of day is it better to run for health in order to increase the benefits and importance of training for the body? According to scientists, the most effective hours for training are: from 6 to 7, from 9 to 12, from 17 to 19. During these periods of time, the human body is at the peak of its physical activity, thanks to which the body tolerates stress more easily.
Thus, you can run with equal efficiency in the morning and evening, as well as during the day. However, choosing the right time for jogging depends not only on the recommendations of specialists, but also on your individual daily routine: work schedule, study schedule, usual time of getting up.
In addition, biorhythms play a vital role in the life of every person. So, for larks, a morning jog is associated with a surge of energy and tone, and for owls - with painful torture.
What to choose?
After considering the features, pros and cons of various options, it is easier to draw conclusions when it is better to run - in the morning or in the evening. And here everyone decides personally which option is most preferable for him. Busy people tend to prefer the first type for several reasons:
- An opportunity to get a boost of energy and prepare for the day ahead.
- A chance to save time that could be better spent on family in the evening.
- You can achieve better health.
- More effective fat burning.
Morning running is more suitable for “larks” who can easily get up even at the very early hours. As for the night owls, such training is a problem for them. In this situation, it is worth looking for a “window” for evening classes.
There is often a stereotype that morning jogging is harmful and can lead to problems with the “motor” of the body. This is possible, but only in the absence of normal warm-up and warming up of the body. If you prepare for training according to the principle that was described in the first part of the article, then health problems are excluded. Moreover, running in the morning has a positive effect on the heart.
The influence of biorhythms on running time
To understand what time is best to exercise, listen to your own biological clock. They determine what time it is better for you to be physically active and lead an active lifestyle, and when it is better to rest.
If the thought of a morning jog makes you sad and disgusted, you shouldn’t force your half-asleep body and push it out at 6 am to exercise. Such training will do more harm than good, as it will negatively affect the nervous system. In this case, it is better for you to go jogging in the evening. Jogging after a working day will help you get rid of stress accumulated at work and relax your muscles before going to bed. By the way, evening running is a good prevention of insomnia.
The influence of biorhythms on running time
If getting up early and being physically active makes you feel energetic, energized and in a good mood for the whole day, then a morning jog is ideal for your biorhythms. For those who live according to the morning person's schedule, the peak of physical and business activity occurs in the first half of the day. At the same time, the fatigue accumulated during the day can cause irritation at the mere thought of an evening jog.
In addition, there are people who are far from ornithology. They go to bed and get up at a time convenient for them, depending on their work mode. If you fall into this category, you may find it convenient to run during the day if your daily routine allows.
If you go against your biological rhythms, you can cause harm to your health. It doesn't make much difference what time of day is best to run, the main thing is to do it regularly. Remember that training should be carried out with desire and pleasure, and then it will bring maximum benefit to your body.
From 8 to 11 am and from 18 to 21 pm
Alena Dyatlova, leader and coach of the Time4run running club:
– It’s better to go out for training at a time of day when you can run as comfortably as possible. If you get enough sleep, sleep 8-9 hours a day and can afford to do a full running workout right away in the morning, that’s great. Or if after a working day you are still full of energy, you want to cheer up and freshen up, and you can run away efficiently - that’s also great.
Yes, of course, someone will say that it is difficult for him to run in the morning, and someone will say that he cannot run at all in the evening, and will refer to the fact that he is a “night owl” or a “lark”. But, in my opinion, human biological rhythms can adapt. It is much more important that running fits into your life and daily routine as comfortably as possible. After all, running training is not only 30-40 minutes of time spent in sneakers. You need to take into account nutrition before and after training, time to warm up before and stretch after, location, i.e. a place where you will go to run, a shower and maybe even a short rest break after your run. Therefore, the ideal time for training will be different for everyone, and even for one person will vary during the week: some workouts will be better to do immediately in the morning after waking up and a light breakfast, some are more effective in the evening.
Here it is important to immediately note that by morning I do not mean 4-5 am, and by evening I do not mean 22-23 hours - this is all too radical and stressful for the body. I consider the most acceptable hours for morning running to be from 8 to 11 am and from 6 to 9 pm.
As for my experience, I love to run in the morning. Even when I train twice a day, I try to do all the important training, speed and long work in the first half of the day, leaving only recovery cross-country runs and easy running in the evening. I also love early morning running, when the city is just waking up and you can admire the sunrise and the beauty of the morning. But I rarely run early: usually only as exercise before breakfast, 5-6 km, very slowly, because the body is also just waking up and is not ready for a serious load.
