What’s your optimal workout time(s) and what time do you actually do it?

[dawn16]

@hungry_hungry_hippo I had a 7:30-4 work schedule a few years ago and 4:30 pm was my absolute favorite time to work out (except in summer when it's still way too hot out).

Alas, I no longer work that schedule and usually start my workouts at 6 pm.

At this point I would almost rather skip a workout than do it before 8 am. My body hates getting up early, my brain spends the whole time thinking/fretting about the day ahead, I perform worse, I'm tired the rest of the day so I move less overall, and I inevitably get a headache around 11 am that WILL NOT go away. If I go back to commuting every day I'll probably have to do it once in awhile but wow I really would rather not.

 

[ellenaus]

@hungry_hungry_hippo I used to workout in the mornings but I HATE not showering right before bed and I also don't want to not shower immediately after working out so now I always just go right after work at around 6-6:30, shower immediately at home, and then have dinner. Normally this means I end up eating late so I'm still figuring it out

Edit: I am lucky enough to have a gym in my apartment and also a gym at my office that are almost always empty, though. If I didn't, I would probably invest in a home gym because I also HATE the wait at public gyms.

 

[erinwells]

@hungry_hungry_hippo I love afternoon workouts. My prime is between 3-4pm, but I'm at work so I tend to workout afterwards.

 

[hardhat]

@hungry_hungry_hippo I would love to be one of those people who gets up at 6AM and works out but I'm just not. I work out around 5PM after work. I also like showering at night, so I would be showering twice a day three times a week on workout days if I got up in the morning.

 

[godismysavior92]

@hungry_hungry_hippo For me, it’s between 5pm-7pm. While I was at a previous job, I finished at 6pm and would go straight for a run after work, knowing that if I went home first, I’d end up staying at home. Now, working out at home I like to get it done so that I can have a shower after and then sit and chill with my dinner.

If I do it too early, I end up tired for the rest of the day.

 

[dawn16]

@hungry_hungry_hippo I used to work out right after work (6-7pm), at a gym that was connected to my work building (it was literally on the same floor as my desk too). And I will say, the proximity somehow really took out the "mental energy" of going.

Now I WFH due to pandemic, and decided to also workout from home to offset my busy schedule. I wake up, put on workout clothes and a button-up over it (for the Zoom meetings) and then workout as soon as I have an open window of time in my day.

My optimal time is to start working out at 3 or 4, so I aim for that! Otherwise, it will usually be at 5-6.

I am lucky, though, as my company has always encouraged daytime workout breaks (I just never took them in the office b/c I didn't want to deal with hair/makeup/shower) so I don't feel guilty or like I'm doing something "wrong" for squeezing a workout in.

I'm a full-on night owl so even when I've tried to force myself to workout in the AM, it just never panned out. I wasn't fully there or focused so the workout itself was lackluster.

 

[dawn16]

@hungry_hungry_hippo 2-4 pm (every sunday, tuesday, thursday)

 

[zoegirl64]

@hungry_hungry_hippo I've worked out at all times of the day, but I feel the most up to it sometime during the afternoon when I have already been up and about.

 

[raaburt]

@hungry_hungry_hippo I usually workout after work. Thankfully, I tend to do home virtual workouts instead of going to a gym. But having that buffer (and "appointment" to make) between work and my evening helps me a lot.

If there is one thing I've learned on my own fitness journey, it's you gotta find way works best for you and plan the rest around it as much as you can.

 

[peacewarrior]

@hungry_hungry_hippo I have only two options, before work or after work. I prefer before work because the gym is empty and it doesn't smell there like being on the inside of a sports shoe.

 

[dawn16]

@hungry_hungry_hippo M-F 4am, 45-50 minutes. Weekends I don't go until about 5:30. I do this mostly because I just wake up around 4 anyways, but also partly because the gym I go to is on the smaller side and I get anxiety when in close proximity or if equipment I want isn't available (thanks OCD)

 

[jme602]

@hungry_hungry_hippo Cardio – anytime in the morning. Mornings before eating a meal are usually best for me. If I wait, it's usually tougher. (But sometimes the weather is better)

Strength – 4-6pm, though I've done late mornings before with good success as well, but that's not as good with the work schedule.

 

[deborah137]

@hungry_hungry_hippo I like early mornings. I can get it done before I'm actually awake enough to figure out what's going on and I'm not dealing with the anxiety that builds throughout the day.

In reality, I get it done when I can. Usually it's early mornings before work but sometimes it's the middle of the afternoon on a Sunday or in the evening on a Tuesday or something.

 

[jonsey444]

@hungry_hungry_hippo I wake up early (usually around 6am), eat breakfast, and start working (remotely). I found that intermittent fasting works pretty well for managing my hunger, so I eat a nice lunch before noon, and a light dinner around two when I finish work. I don't have a set schedule but I usually exercise somewhere between four and six, which gives me plenty of time to cool down from work but not late enough to affect my sleep. I like taking a long, hot shower in the evening to signify the end of the day.

I've never liked working out in the morning, though. I'm on a flexible schedule so the sooner I start working, the sooner I'm done working.

 

[forgod1]

@hungry_hungry_hippo 5/530am! The gym is less crowded, it’s a good way to start my day, and frankly I’m too lazy in the afternoon to workout. I also have to workout on an empty stomach, so going any other time doesn’t really work out great anyway.

 

[sams]

@hungry_hungry_hippo I am physically weak and get out of breath easily exercising until I have consumed significant amounts of food, definitely need breakfast but my ideal time is after lunch around 2pm, due to my job I usually go at 4pm though. Changing jobs soon and I won't be able to go until 6pm, I am not looking forward to being there during the busiest hours

 

[dawn16]

@hungry_hungry_hippo I prefer to workout in the morning. I can get myself to "work out" after work if it's something I'm legitimately excited to do - ie: rock climbing gym, or something I signed up for and have to attend - ie: yoga class. But I would still prefer mornings.

 

[rushu]

@hungry_hungry_hippo I workout in the afternoon/evening since I have a flexible schedule and that works best for me. But my workouts are also loooooooong with a metric fuck ton of volume at the moment:

so either 4-8 or 10-2pm

 

[fah270]

@hungry_hungry_hippo Wow, everybody is pro-daytime workouts huh? I’m usually in the gym right after work so from 11:30pm to 1:30am 3-4 times a week! I walk anywhere from 5-10 miles a day at work so I call it a warmup. I think my body would prefer to be in the gym around 7-8pm based on past gym experiences but I’ve had no real problems going this late.

 

[dawn16]

@fah270 This is my ideal time to workout too, though I work 9-5ish so it's a bit incompatible. For years I would go to sleep after work and then go to the gym around 11pm, eat dinner, shower, then go back to bed lol