Working out should be a must for each and every one of us. It is extremely easy to live a sedentary life today, with everything being deliverable right to your doorstep. Entertainment technology is better than ever, making it even harder to step away from it. However, we need between 30 minutes to an hour to exercise and we can all find that small amount of time, even if it is not every day.
Benefits of working out
A lot of people think it’s already too late to start working out. That is absolutely never the case, it is never too late to start. You don’t need to start off by running a 5K and then heading to the gym afterward, nor should you. Recommended length and intensity of exercises vary depending on a lot of stuff. One of the most obvious benefits is losing or adding weight, depending on the situation. Exercising also helps reduce the risks of heart diseases by strengthening your heart and improving your circulation while lowering your blood pressure levels. It also helps manage our blood sugar levels. Of course, working out strengthens our muscles and bones. As our skins are affected by the level of oxidative stress, exercise helps increase the antioxidants that protect the cells. This, in turn, results in healthier skin aging.
Another thing that working out does is improve our mental health. During exercise, our bodies release chemicals that improve our mood. That helps to deal with stress and reduces the risk of having depression. It can also help if you’re already battling depression. If you’re feeling physically and mentally down, working out can boost your energy levels to a new high. Whether it comes naturally through your body, or through a sense of accomplishment, once you start working out, it all around makes us happier. Working out improves sleep by quite a lot. You will be able to fall asleep faster, and you will wake up feeling more refreshed and ready to take on the day’s challenges.
When to work out
First off, let’s just say that any time to work out is a good time to work out. There are some benefits to different times of the day, but any form or time of exercise is much better than not working out at all. Also, many women wonder if it is okay to work out when on their periods, and the answer is, of course, yes. The number of days to exercise a week can vary depending on a lot of variables. Exercise should be done 3 to 6 times a week. There has to be at least one rest per week though. That results in about 18-22 workouts per month.
Morning exercise
The advantage that morning exercises have is that, if you work out on an empty stomach, you’ll burn more stored fat, which is an ideal way to lose weight. That means you will draw your energy from your stored fat. Morning workouts also help prepare us for the rest of the day. Sweating in the morning produces better mental health and productivity while lowering stress. They also help to improve our sleep quality, once our bodies get used to morning workouts, they will automatically try and shut down in the evening to prepare for the next morning. It also boosts our deep night’s sleep which is extremely important.
Afternoon exercise
Since you are already warmed up and have eaten a meal or two, afternoon workouts may give you a performance boost. Most of us will also be able to work out quite harder compared to the morning, as we have accumulated much more energy. It is also important to note that afternoon workouts might be the best for stress relief. That is because you have just finished work and however you might feel after it, working out inevitably helps to leave work behind and let off some steam. It is also easy to fall into an afternoon slump where you feel tired and unproductive, just wanting to have a bite to eat and fall asleep in front of the TV. Working out changes all of that, quite easily, making you happier in the process.
Night exercise
Working out at night can help boost our muscle strength. Surprisingly, you might have the most energy at that time. Some studies have shown that you can work out up to 20% longer in the evenings. Not to mention that it improves sleep quality as you will fall asleep like a baby, only to wake up feeling fully refreshed and energized to take on the day. There is another obvious benefit to working out in the evening, although it is not often thought of. Working out in the evening means that there is a chance that the gym will not be filled up to the brim with people. Although it is great to be surrounded by people when working out, it can be energizing and motivational, it is also great not having to wait in line to use machines.