In today's fast-paced world, our daily routine often shifts more and more into the late hours. We like to sleep in in the morning, and work commitments, catching up on backlogs, or personal life force us to postpone physical activities until the very end of the day. Exercising after work has become a common ritual for many people. However, from the perspective of natural human clocks and biorhythms, this is a step in the wrong direction.
Why is evening training not good for the body?
The human body is naturally set to slow down as darkness approaches. In summer, this means calming down around 9 PM, and in winter, even around 8 PM. However, if we engage in intense sports performance at this time, a whole series of processes take place in the body:
- Hormone release: Physical activity sharply increases the levels of cortisol (stress hormone) and adrenaline. These hormones mobilize the body and keep it on alert.
- Increased body temperature: Training heats up the body. A drop in body temperature is one of the main triggers for quality sleep, which evening exercise prevents.
- Disrupted nervous system: The sympathetic nervous system (the part of the nervous system responsible for the “fight or flight” response) remains active long after the training ends, leading to difficulty falling asleep and frequent nocturnal awakenings.
Morning exercise is the solution
If you are struggling with lack of time and evening exercise is ruining your sleep quality, the answer is simple: start getting up earlier and exercise in the morning before work.
Morning exercise has several key advantages:
- Metabolism boost: Morning training wakes up the body and kick-starts calorie burning for the whole day.
- Clear head: Physical activity first thing in the morning releases endorphins, so you arrive at work in a better mood and with higher mental resilience to stress.
- Quality regeneration: In the afternoon and evening, you will then have space for natural calming, regeneration, and preparation for deep, undisturbed sleep.
Tip for getting started
You don't have to get up two hours earlier overnight. Try setting your alarm just 15 to 20 minutes earlier and gradually get used to the morning rhythm. Your body will reward you with better energy and higher quality sleep.