While there's evidence that morning workouts are more effective when it comes to calorie burn, don't feel bad if you're not the type of person to wake up for an early-morning sweat session. Here are four reasons why working out in the evening still works.
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You'll make healthy afterwork decisions: Happy hour, dinners out with friends, and relaxing in front of the TV can be just as integral to a healthy lifestyle as sticking to a workout routine, but scheduling gym time after work can keep you from making more indulgent plans a habit. Evening workouts can also help your diet — you can't overeat or overdrink if you've got a yoga class to attend afterward!
You'll sleep better: If you're a night owl who has all sorts of energy late into the night, you may benefit from an evening workout. Exercising at night will help expend some of that energy when you're at your productive peak, helping you sleep better throughout the night and wake up refreshed.
Two more reasons to work out in the evening after the break.
You'll stick to it: If you've been forcing yourself to wake up in the morning to exercise and haven't been able to keep the routine, it may be time to stop fighting it. The great thing about morning workouts is that you can get your calorie burn done before you even start your day, but if you're finding that you end up sleeping through your early-morning alarm, you'll probably have more success if you can carve out time after work for exercise. If you don't have time to go to the gym or on an outdoor run, try an at-home workout.
You'll have time to decompress: Whether you've spent the day worrying about deadlines or rushing through errands, spending 30 minutes or an hour working out will help relieve that stress or give you time to think about your day — or help you take your mind off of it. Even if you feel like you're too drained to exercise after a long day at work, it may just be exactly what you need to decompress and re-energize.
