Fitness instructor Emmet Rushe looks at the best times of the day to clock in a workout

When it comes to exercise, there can be a few myths surrounding the ‘right’ time to train.

  • Some do it ‘fasted’,1st thing in the morning in order to burn more fat.
  • Some squeeze it in on their lunch breaks.
  • Some do it after work.

The question remains, is there a ‘best’ time to exercise?

The main thing that I like to look at when it comes to clients and exercise is;

Where will you consistently be able to get your exercise done?

If you were to schedule exercise in at a time that doesn’t suit you, you will see it as a chore and probably give up before starting.

The main consideration you should have is, where can you get it done, without any distractions?

  • Maybe you have a very busy schedule,
  • Maybe you have kids to get up and ready for school
  • Maybe you have busy evenings that involve taxiing the kids to differing activities

Once you look at all of these things, you can assess when will be the best time for you.

We cater for all of the options below in our Rushe Fitness Classes.

MORNING TRAINING

The benefits of morning training for those who do it are great.

  • You are getting up before anyone else in the house.
  • You will have peace to get it done without distractions.
  • You are set up for the day and are fully awake from the get go.
  • You have your evenings to yourself.
  • Your sleep will improve and you will be ready for bed come 9pm.

MORNING TRAINING

This option would be most popular with parents.

It allows them to get their training in straight after leaving the kids off at school and before they have to go back into their schedule.

AFTERNOON TRAINING 

This can be done in 2 different ways depending on your schedule or job.

It could be a 30 min lunchtime training session done with others from your work or before you get the kids from school.

It could be a mid-afternoon training session done after work if you are a teacher or your job finishes around 4pm.

Both these options allow you to get your training in if you have busy mornings and busy evenings.

EVENING TRAINING

This would be the most popular time for training for most people.

Once work is done, you get in and get your training done, before you go home.

These times tend to be busier and more social as people tend to spend more time after their sessions as they have nowhere to be.

They can then get home and get dinner before bed.

Evening sessions can sometimes suit people who have an hour to themselves once they get the kids to bed and dinner is finished.

The only time I wouldn’t recommend evening training is if it affected your sleep.

Some find that training late in the evening can keep them hyped up and they can’t get to sleep until late at night.

The main factor for anyone who is starting out with training is consistency.

You may find that the one time doesn’t suit and you may have differing times throughout the week that suits your schedule.

I usually find this would be shift workers as their schedules can change from week to week and month to month.

The best time to train, is the one that you can consistently stick to and suits your schedule.

As long as you are training, it doesn’t matter which on that is.
#TrainSmart