Is Working Out at Night Actually a Bad Idea?
For me, the hardest part of exercising is finding the time to do it. With my schedule, working out in the evening is often easier, but should I believe the people on TikTok who tell me that an evening gym session won’t have the same payoff?
I’m not an early riser. I’m not even the type to get up as soon as the alarm goes off. If I have the choice, I prefer to start the day peacefully, by postponing waking up, browsing the news and social networks and having breakfast quietly. My only option is to train late in the afternoon, which is a controversial choice. Sure, it can be stressful to wait until the last possible second to finally cross exercise off the list, but for me, it’s also a way to end the day on a good note.
Still, I envy those who can pull off a full morning workout. I also wonder if my evening endorphins will have a negative effect on my sleep, which is the most common complaint with evening workouts. The good news: Experts say it’s not always that simple.
“From a physiological point of view, ‘late’ is not so much the time itself as the proximity to bedtime,” explains professional trainer Juan Antonio Martín. “It’s considered a night workout when you work out within two hours of sleeping.” This means that if you go to bed at 11 p.m., after 9 p.m. it will be too late to start exercising. “Ideally, there should be a minimum margin of 90 to 120 minutes between the end of training and bedtime,” says Martín.
How do evening workouts affect sleep?
The statement that exercising at night can affect sleep is valid. When you exercise, you activate the sympathetic nervous system (also known as the fight-or-flight response) and increase core body temperature, which can have a negative effect on sleep, according to Martín. “Exercise, especially if it’s high intensity like strength or HIIT, also increases the release of catecholamines like adrenaline,” he says. “And everything’s fine…except when you need to relax and sleep.”
Working out too late can disrupt your circadian rhythm if you’re sensitive to that type of stimulus, which can make it harder to get into deep sleep, says Martín. Not everyone is affected in the same way, but if you find that you have trouble sleeping after physical activity, your body is already giving you a clue.
How to exercise at night without compromising your rest
Bottom line: the more demanding the workout, the more time you’ll need before trying to sleep. The harder you train, the more activated your body is and the more alert your nervous system stays. The time it takes for the body to return to normal is proportional to the intensity of the workout.
Although it may interrupt some people’s sleep patterns, exercising at night isn’t categorically bad for you. “There are people whose peak energy and performance is not in the morning, but in the afternoon or evening,” explains Martín. “In these cases, forcing workouts early in the morning can lead to worse results: more fatigue, less compliance and even risk of injury. »
It’s basically a question of lifestyle. If going to the gym right after waking up seems unimaginable, but working out in the evening helps you relieve the stress of the day, Martín advises you to listen to your body. A late afternoon or evening workout can even help improve your mood and give you a sense of accomplishment before bed. “The important thing here is to be honest with yourself. If evening training makes you feel better and does not affect your sleep, continue doing it,” says the trainer.
Is it more effective to train in the morning than in the evening?
Aside from sleep issues, many people also assume that those who exercise in the morning get better results than those who exercise before bed. But that’s another misconception, says Martín: No matter when you train, the benefits in terms of fat loss and muscle gain are the same.
