Morning of evening: which is the best time to exercise? Judy Foreman, the Boston Globe’s mercifully laconic health answer lady, opens the envelope. And the answer is: it doesn’t matter. Not only does it not matter, says Foreman, it matters even less (than nothing) as we age. The one exception is weight-training. Foreman quotes Michael R. Deschenes, a physiologist and neurobiologist at the College of William and Mary, who suggests that for
building muscle strength through weight training, "you’re
better off in the late afternoon or early evening because core body
temperature is higher and muscles perform better when core temperature
is higher. Read more from Judy Foreman in the Boston Globe.
Health, fitness and lifestyle tips for people over 50 who still like to play hard
Saturday, May 31, 2025
The article isn’t totally accurate. For instance, any exercise that put the low back into full flexion should be avoided for the first hour after waking up. It’s when you’re at the highest risk for a disc injury. There are other examples as well. So, the article should state working out at anytime is better than not working out at all, but with certain contraindications accounted for as well….
I’ve always thought that this was one of the goofiest arguments on fitness. Why should it matter? Of course its a matter of personal preference. I’ve read that you shouldn’t run in the morning because your times won’t be as good. Really, how many people are running for records everytime they run? I’ve seen that my times are better when I run later in the day, but I prefer to run early in the morning when traffic is least, its a great start to the day, I don’t have a runner’s natural attitude about my run (I do it to stay fit, I do it to challenge myself) so it is equivalent to a “daily chore” for me, so why not do it when I want? And, don’t runners run against resistance when they train? Running to wake up is one form of resistance.
When I run I start slowly, whether its in the early morning or afternoon, and work into a comfortable pace. I’ve tried it differently and tired too early in my run, so I’m not killing myself in my run.
Really, what does it really matter? You’re doing it for yourself, not for records.