I have blogged about exercising in the morning before having your breakfast is best.  This gives you a better metabolism and energy for the day.

But. There are many reasons for doing your exercises in the morning isn’t for you. You might have a hectic schedule with early morning meetings. For some mornings are just difficult.

As discussed in my blog, it is still about getting that regular exercise done.  The big question is, will doing your workout in the evening make your sleep worse?

How does sleep improve with exercise?

Everyone can agree to the fact that being active will help you sleep better. A National Sleep Foundation poll said that exercise improved sleep up to 67%.  Vigorous exercisers are less likely to have trouble sleeping than those who are moderate.

There is more research backing this up.  One study reported 65% improvement in sleep and feeling less sleepy during the day. This was after exercising for at least 2.5 hours a week.  The research goes on and on.

It is obvious that if you sleep better you will have more energy to exercise and vice versa. So one will help the other.

But, what about exercising at night?

Most people say that it will leave you wired and harder for you to fall asleep.  Exercise increases your body temperature and heart rate.  It might make it difficult to fall asleep right after a workout.

But, could activity or exercise in the evening help you sleep better?  Studies show participating in vigorous late night exercise did not change sleep quality.  Another study with men only concluded the same.   They were on stationary bikes for three hours going to sleep thirty minutes later. They had no trouble falling asleep.

The research shows that it doesn´t have to be so terrible to have a late in the day or evening workout.  If you have trouble sleeping,  late night exercise might help you sleep better. It is worth the try to find out. Although your temperature rises during your activity, it will drop once you slow down. This could be enough to cause you to feel sleepy.

Again, it is about finding the right time for you

It is all about finding your time of day and stay consistent with that time.  That is one reason why morning routines are popular.  Getting it done before the day starts, and if not, I usually end up not doing my exercise. Unless I have planned it a day in advance. Not likely!

So, if mornings do not work out for you, it is well worth the try to do it in the evening.  If too late does´t work for you try to do it a little bit earlier. Change the time with 30 minute intervals to see if it improves.  You will  find your best time of day for exercising.  Still, as we have talked about before, try to stay as active in general during the day as well.