Why Should I Workout in The Evening?

The busiest time in gyms across the country is the evening.  The after work workout crowd \”slides down the dinosaur\” and steps into the locker room at the gym before settling in for the night.  According to a YouGovAmerica 2018 study, approximately 26% of exercising Americans prefer to exercise in the evening.  Whether you are working out on your own, in a group fitness class or with a personal trainer, that makes the gyms pretty popular in the evening.   Regardless of any crowds you may experience, evening workouts have their benefits.

Prefer a morning workout?  Check out these benefits.

You Can Train Longer

When you workout in the evening, there is usually less reason to worry about the clock.  You don’t need to be anywhere, but hopefully will get to bed at a reasonable hour.  More on that later.  Strength training in the evening mean being able to stay in the gym longer.  Your regular workout time can be longer.  Plus, if you are having a great workout, you can decide to stay longer and do a few more sets.  Work responsibilities are done for the day.  If you want to take extra time to work with a NYC personal trainer, or to try some new exercises or even add in additional repetitions or sets, the clock is now your friend.

You Can Focus Better

All of this extra time in the evening, can lead to better focus.  Better focus on you.  Improved focus on the exercise.  Hyper focus on the form and movement within each repetition.  Few people take time everyday to take care of themselves.  This is that time.  At night, you can drop everything out of your mind and focus on you.  No worries of what you have to get done today, when your workout is done. 

You can focus on the exercises you want to do and zero in on how you do them.  As form is very important, you can take the time to watch and critique your form, whether directly or in the mirror, or even have a partner review your form.  Slow down, feel your body throughout the motion and make sure that everything feels right.

Help You Wind Down From A Stressful Day

It’s no secret that exercise reduces stress.  Stress is a big reason why many people have trouble focusing, sleeping or being productive. Fifty percent of adults in an APA study said they felt good about themselves after exercise.  Thirty percent said they felt less stressed.  From personal experience as a runner, life feels perfect after I complete a run.  Even after a strength training workout, with endorphins running high, stress just melts away.

You’ll Sleep Better

If you can leave your stresses of the day behind, you will undoubtedly improve your sleep habits. In a study by the Sleep Foundation, 76%-83% of participants reported improved sleep after engaging in light to vigorous exercise. During exercise, your heart rate increases as the blood is carrying more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles.  After exercise, your heart rate may return closer to a normal level, but your muscles continue to need nourishment to begin the process of repairing and growing new muscle tissues. 

Feel Great When You Wake Up

Of course, if you sleep well, you should then wake up the next day all rested and refreshed.  Feeling energized to start the day seems like something that only happens in the movies these days whereby the main character sits up in bed and stretches their arms high up in the air before bounding out of bed.  This, too, can be you!  All it takes is a vigorous workout the night before.  The only catch, for those people in the above study, is that they had to complete their workouts prior to one hour before bedtime.  So, schedule your workout with friends, personal trainers NYC or a group fitness class 2-3 hours before bedtime to be safe.

Stay strong!

@neighborhoodtrainer.com