Morning Cardio Workouts

B

blackiceberg

New member
Hi everybody here! my first post :hurray:
I was wondring if it is better to do cardio workouts in the morning before work or in the afternoon or evening.
Has anyone tried it?
I mean before even breakfast. I think it will make anyone feel better the whole day and it will be much esier to start than a late after work one.
I am thinking to start with fast walk combined with running, more walking at the first weeks, less walking more running as I get in better condition through time.
How does it sound?
any thoughts?
thanx
 
Six in one hand, half a dozen in the other.

Exercise when you feel it fits your schedule/body best.

I'm personally not a fan of fasted cardio.
 
i think at the end of the day it's what works for YOU that counts. i've never been a morning person so i do my workouts in the evenings. but only you would know whats best for you so that you can stick with it in the long run. all the best xoxo
 
Yeah I agree with the above posters. My favorite saying is that the best [whatever] is the one you'll DO. That holds true for the type of exercise, when you do it, etc.

If working out in the morning is easier for you, or it gives you a boost, then I say go for it.

As far as not eating first, I personally cannot do cardio (or any workout really) in a fasting state - I get sick to my stomach. So I have to eat something on my way to the gym if I workout first thing. Usually I have a 1/2 a banana with some peanut butter; it's nothing much, but just enough to put something on my stomach and give me some energy.
 
I do my workout towards the evening.
One factor is that I don't get very much time through the day.
The other thing is that I feel that our body rests at night, without much activity, so it would be better to give it a 'kick' before we let it lay idle :)
 
I work out a little bit every morning now when I get home from work. On the days I work this is the only time I have available. Usually 30 - 45 minutes before I pass out. Luckily for me I am already exhausted after a 12-15 hour shift so it puts me right to sleep.
 
unlike most of the posters here, i am a HUGE fan of morning, fasted cardio... BUT i am not a morning person, so i usually stick to cardio first thing on an empty stomach on weekends after i sleep in. if im doing any weight training, then i absolutely must eat prior to working out...

i definitely think it depends on your preference, your "plan", and your diet... so im a little biased since my plan encourages it.

but exercise is usually good no matter when you do it... whatever will keep you the most consistent.
 
the research on fasted morning cardio seems to suggest that at best, it's no better than doing cardio at any other time.. So take it for what you will.

I can say this, it's good you're starting out walking. Keep it up. But diet is the key to this game. get that in check first and foremost. Posting what you eat in a day would go a long way to disecting any problems you might be having with nutrition. And in addition to walking and jogging, you should be incorporating resistance training into your routine.
 
I cast a vote for in the morning too. I always looked for mentors in all aspects of my own life for whatever I was setting out to accomplish, and the mentors who are losing fat the fastest and maintaining muscle the most are athletes cutting weight (like wrestlers and bodybuilders). If you are trying to "cut weight", in my experience it is best to do that with first thing in the am walking at a brisk pace for 35-60 minutes followed by some Gatorade or similar (to replen glucose levels immediately post-workout). To previous points though, diet is 80% of the game, and it is important to get in some muscle building/maintaining weights as well.

Sounds like you are doing awesome! Keep it up! :)
 
gpsfitness said:
I cast a vote for in the morning too. I always looked for mentors in all aspects of my own life for whatever I was setting out to accomplish, and the mentors who are losing fat the fastest and maintaining muscle the most are athletes cutting weight (like wrestlers and bodybuilders). If you are trying to "cut weight", in my experience it is best to do that with first thing in the am walking at a brisk pace for 35-60 minutes followed by some Gatorade or similar (to replen glucose levels immediately post-workout). To previous points though, diet is 80% of the game, and it is important to get in some muscle building/maintaining weights as well.

Sounds like you are doing awesome! Keep it up! :)
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That's strange since it is and always well be a matter of thermogenesis and whether you're burning your calories in the am or the pm is of little concern.
 
It works for me on weekends and I will try it on weekdays before work..
I have a question: Is it true that the body will use only its fat for energy for the first 20 or 30 minutes cause of the empty stomach and that after the 30 minutes it will use the muscles to take energy from? Sorry for my bad english
 
Is it true that the body will use only its fat for energy for the first 20 or 30 minutes cause of the empty stomach and that after the 30 minutes it will use the muscles to take energy from?
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Nope. Total myth.

The body isn't that linear. You can't say X minutes of exercise targets fat and X minutes of exercise targets muscle. If it were that simple, then none of us would be fat. We'd exercise for 20 minutes to target fat only and never have to worry about it.

You will burn calories whether you've got food in your stomach or not. And ultimately that's what it's all about - burning more calories than you're eating. Period.
 
You really need to select a time of day that you can stick to a routine with. A lot of people struggle to get up in time to do a morning workout or the cold may keep them warm in bed. If that's the case then just stick to the afternoon sessions. There might be a difference but if you can't keep to the schedule then you are actually losing...
 
hi,
I used to do cardo workout both in morning and evening but i found in the morning better because when i can burn my calories more...
 
I agree with all those who say it doesn't matter when you run. I run early (between six and seven) on weekends and afternoons weekdays. I lost seventy pounds five years ago doing that and have kept it off, so it works for me. I did read somewhere a long time ago that more heart attacks occur in the morning before ten. Since I was diagnosed with heart disease just after I started running, for a while I waited until 10:00 a.m. to run. -- stand there and look at the watch waiting. Dumb, of course, so I quit doing that.

- Ed
 
I think it's also important to figure out exactly what kind of person you are. In high school/middle school my teachers always liked to talk about how we as students are either "morning people", "evening people", or "in-between people." Some individuals really work their best in the morning, others work their best during the late evening hours, and some like to do their school work during the calm afternoon hours.

I myself am a "morning person". In high school I always had no problem jumping out of bed to get ready, and when I got to school I'd be wide awake and ready to learn, take-notes, (more like socialize *snicker*) etc...By the time evening comes around, I'm pooped and totally ready to just chill and relax. Other people, such as "evening people" are exactly the opposite. You have those individuals who HATE dragging themselves out of bed in the morning...feeling sluggish during early classes...yet by the time evening comes they're full of life and energy!

Naturally, I choose to do a morning cardio run regularly because that's the type of person I am! Plus, it's the first thing you do so it's "out of the way." Others may have a different kind of disposition and do cardio in the evening because it's their way of "unwinding" or "unleashing" stress.

I've lost a good amount of weight through morning cardios, and I've seen many lose weight through night cardios... so to each their own.
 
You have those individuals who HATE dragging themselves out of bed in the morning...feeling sluggish during early classes...yet by the time evening comes they're full of life and energy!

Others may have a different kind of disposition and do cardio in the evening because it's their way of "unwinding" or "unleashing" stress.
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Speaking! :D

I hate getting up in the morning. Usually once I'm up, I enjoy being up, but the part about GETTING up? Not so much!

OTOH, I am more motivated in the evenings and after a really tough day, slinging some weights around or getting on the treadmill and really pushing myself makes me feel great. It truly does help relieve the stress of the day.
 
Steve said:
Six in one hand, half a dozen in the other.

Exercise when you feel it fits your schedule/body best.

I'm personally not a fan of fasted cardio.
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So true!! I'm not really a fan of fasted cardio either but everyone has to do what works best for them. The important thing is getting the workout done, regardless of what time it is. :coolgleamA:
 
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