Best Time to Exercise?

copyright 2003 by Greg Landry, M.S.

In a recent issue of my Weight Loss Newsletter newsletter, I asked subscribers to tell me their favorite time to exercise and why.

I received hundreds of responses. 92% said their favorite time to exercise was in the morning. (Read my article on morning exercise - email.. Morning@Landry.com ) Their notes will inspire you..

I HATE to exercise but I love the results. I try to exercise in the morning, so I'm done for the day! _____

Hi again. My favorite time to exercise is first thing in the morning. I find if I get up an hour earlier than I have to and go ahead and get my Tae Bo done, It's done. If not I may be too tired and talk myself out of it. But if it's done I'm proud of myself and in the evening I can relax and not feel guilty because I was just too tired to do it. _____

My favorite time of day to exercise is early in the morning before the rest of the house wakes up. The reasons for this are; 1. The air outside is still fresh (no vehicles out yet) 2. I can spend time alone with myself (rare for a mother) 3. No other demands on my time 4. The rest of the day is too busy (carting children up and down) 5. Later in the day I'm too tired from working and being a mother/housewife and wife for my husband. _____

I am starting to enjoy working out first thing in the morning. This is only because I recently read your article, "Top 10 Reasons to Exercise in the Morning." I HATE to get up, however, the exercise is important to me and it doesn't seem to get lost or pushed around this way. I also have no interruptions, as my kids, ages 2 and 1, are still sleeping. I have been exercising for 15 weeks now. I have lost 15 pounds, gone down in jean size, and gained self discipline I never thought I had. I can't wait to see what I will look like when summer brings shorts and sleeveless shirts!! Thank you for the great articles and encouragement. _____

I prefer to exercise right after work when I get home. It gives me the opportunity to release all the stress of the work day so I can make a clean and stress free transition to my evening at home with my family. It helps me to release all workday stress so I don't take them out on my family and also allows me to enjoy my relaxation time better. _____

My favorite time of day to exercise would be, hand's down, in the early morning before all the daily distractions start. _____

My favorite time of day to exercise is morning because it energizes me for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, I work the very early shift so I have to exercise in late afternoon, but I still feel more energized! _____

I like to exercise first thing in the morning. If I can wake up a little early in the morning, I work out and then get showered and head to work. The rest of my day is always so much better after a morning work out. _____

My favorite time of day to exercise is in the afternoon. However, the most practical time is right away in the morning before my day gets gets crowded with other things. Therefore, I usually exercise around 5-6 am. _____

Morning--it gives such a great sense of satisfaction for the whole day to know that I have done something good for myself. _____

My favorite time to exercise is first thing in the morning. On the weekends, when I have the luxury of time, I'll get up at 6:30 AM and take a 3 mile walk with my husband and our golden retriever. It is a great time to catch up with each other and compare notes about our weekend plans. I feel like we have the outdoors all to ourselves, and we still have the entire day ahead of us without anything jeopardizing our exercise game plan! _____

I know this sounds crazy coming from someone who spends 6 to 9 hours a day on her feet (waitress) but, after I get off work on Wednesdays, I meet a friend at the local walking track around our little airport and we do the whole 4 miles in an hour. Of course we didn't start out that way. Took us two months to get clear around it in that time. We haven't been able to get it done in under an hour though--we talk too much! The talking and walking have been a great stress relief therapy so we don't much care how long it takes. _____

I prefer to do my exercise in the morning @ 5:30 am. This wakes me up and gets me going. I am a morning person. _____

My favorite time of day to exercise is in the early morning. I have the most energy then, and the time to do it. I also have a feeling of well being, when I start my day this way. _____

Favorite time of day to exercise is first thing after getting out of bed. _____

Definitely the morning! I am a difficult to motivate person. If I wait until the end of the day, every excuse in the book comes up, including being too tired. If I do it in the morning, it's done and I have energy all day. _____

Favorite time of day to exercise is morning. It provides lots of energy, a good outlook on the day, and a healthy self esteem. Afternoons tend to be too busy to fit in the exercise and evenings the body is slowing down and feels a little heavy. _____

I get up between 4:30 and 5 a.m. - exercise usually at 5:30 a.m. This is the best time for me and it starts my whole day out great.

Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry, offers FREE weight loss success stories and his "Fast, Healthy Weight Loss" newsletter at his site: http://www.landry.com/ copyright 2003 by Greg Landry, M.S.