evening workouts?

[newlywed]

I pose this question to Cathe or anyone who would like to chime in. How late is too late for a workout? One hour before bed? Two? Too many times my days don't go as planned and then the workout gets axed.


Thanks,

Newlywed
DD 2/19/07

 

[dr.mel_PT]

I try not to workout any less than 3 hrs before bed. I find that if I workout later than that, my body is so amped up that I have trouble falling/staying asleep. I think it depends on your own body but I find the sooner you can sneak exercise in the better.

 

[syzygy314]

I try not to workout any less than 3 hrs before bed. I find that if I workout later than that, my body is so amped up that I have trouble falling/staying asleep. I think it depends on your own body but I find the sooner you can sneak exercise in the better.

I agree. I have read so much stuff I can't remember where I read it, but you shouldn't work out too close to bed time because of the high energy you have afterwards. Your adrenaline is up. It's almost like drinking a ton of coffee, then trying to go to sleep! The effect on your sleep pattern is too much and ruins your sleep cycle.

 

[JoanC]

I usually wo between midnight and 1:00am and go to bed 1/2 hour later.

I think it depends on you. I hate early mornings and the rest of the day is too busy.

 

[spyrosmom]

I normally start around 6:30pm and wrap up btwn 7:30 and 8pm. Then shower. I normally go to bed about 9:30 or so. Most nights I have no trouble conking right out. I have the occasional sleepless night, but so does everyone. I've been doing it this way forever, so I may have just adjusted. Interestingly, on Tues and Thurs I do my cardio in the morning due to my work schedule, and on those nights, I seem to have the most trouble falling asleep - it takes a little longer even if I am just as tired. I think exercise helps get out any stress from the day, which makes sleeping easier. Very rarely, I don't get my workout in on Tues/Thurs morn, so I end up doing when I get home at 8, and finishing about 9 or so. Then I will go to bed about 10, but still, no snoozing problems.

Nan

 

[MommaPew]

I think you should do whatever you body is telling you to do. If you want to w/o late try it and see if it keeps you from falling asleep. I also think it might depend on what kind of w/o you're doing. I did STS Disc 12 last night at 9pm and had no problem falling asleep by 11:00, my normal time. If I had done cardio, maybe that would be a different story. I also think it matters how "amped" you are from the w/o. I love cardio however I don't find it keeps me up at night. On the other hand when I play a late baseball game, I'm amped and have trouble falling asleep.

 

[newlywed]

Thank you all for your input. I was just curious what other people tried and had success or failure with. I used to be able to get up and workout 4 mornings a week at 5am. But I am finding myself a little too tired for that since my dd was born two years ago.

Newlywed

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Newlywed (btw, congratulations on being a newlywed)


Of course this will vary not only from person to person, but also within each person themselves. One day you may be so tired that a pot of coffee wouldn't even interfere with a sound sleep, other times just hearing a car drive by can kill a good nights sleep.

But generally speaking, you should not have a super heavy meal or a super intense workout within 3 hours of turning into bed for the night. Your body needs to be at a calmer state to enter into the sleep mode and heavy digesting or high endorphins can interfere with that process.

Good Luck!

I pose this question to Cathe or anyone who would like to chime in. How late is too late for a workout? One hour before bed? Two? Too many times my days don't go as planned and then the workout gets axed.


Thanks,

Newlywed
DD 2/19/07

 

[newlywed]

Wow Cathe thanks for replying to my question. BTW-I was a newlywed 4 years ago when I signed up on your site so I guess I can't really call myself a newlywed anymore.

Jeannie