Best Time of Day to Exercise to Lose Weight
One of the biggest questions I hear as a personal trainer is “What is the best time of day to exercise to lose weight?”
And it’s a good question, because when you exercise can have a huge impact on your weight loss efforts.
The truth is, exercise will help you lose weight any time of day. But if you think about the science behind exercise and weight loss, you can definitely adjust your workout schedule to optimize your fat burning results.
Let’s take a closer look at the best time of day to exercise to lose weight…
Best Time of Day to Exercise to Lose Weight
As I mentioned, any time of day is better than not working out at all. But there are certain times that can definitely be windows of greater opportunity.
Weight loss success depends largely on your ability to boost your metabolism and get your body burning more fat and calories. By paying attention to your metabolism, and by understanding the science behind it, you can create a workout schedule that will maximize your weight loss.
The Morning
For the best weight loss results, I always recommend exercising in the morning. Generally high intensity cardiovascular exercise is best at this time, within about an hour of waking up.
After a full night’s sleep, your metabolism essentially slows down, reducing your body’s ability to burn fat. Although waking up will automatically get your metabolism going, exercising will kick it into high gear for the rest of the day.
This is the same reason that breakfast is so important. Eating a protein-rich breakfast, including a protein shake with Gaspari Nutrition Myofusion, will also boost your metabolism and help you burn more fat all day long. And consider starting your day with a cup of Magic Matcha Green Tea, a super food known for its metabolism-enhancing properties.
The Afternoon
Exercising in the afternoon isn’t quite as effective, but if you’ve had a sluggish morning and need to jumpstart your energy, this is another good time to fit in some cardiovascular exercise.
Consider going for a walk or a light jog. This moderate exercise will ensure that your metabolism stays in high gear, and you’ll also burn some of those morning calories. Lifting some weights is also effective at this time, and will keep you burning fat for the remainder of the day.
The Evening
Evenings are the best time for weight training exercises. If you can hit the gym after work, you’ll totally maximize your weight loss (and muscle building) efforts.
Your metabolism is directly tied to your body’s muscle mass. The more muscle mass you have, the more fat and calories your body will be able to burn when at rest. This is why building muscle is so important if you’re trying to lose weight.
Lifting weights in the late afternoon or evening is most effective because you’ll burn more calories while you sleep. You’ll also give your muscles a better opportunity to recover at night, which means you’ll see better results. Cardiovascular exercise is okay at this time, but make sure it doesn’t lead to excessive eating before bed.
To get the most out of your evening workouts, I recommend following up with a time-released protein supplement like MHP Probolic-SR Muscle Feeder. This will make sure your muscles are fueled all night long – and it will keep your metabolism up! Add to this a night-time recovery supplement like Shut-Eye, and you’ll totally improve your fat burning results!
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