By now most of us have recognized that there ARE real true “morning people”…and then there are those of us who will just NEVER be morning people no matter HOW HARD WE TRY! And there actually IS a scientific / biological basis for this difference in people (that we don’t need to get into here).
If you’re one of those people naturally blessed with major MORNING MOJO, then by all means, start your day out right! But for those of us who look like we belong on the ‘The Walking Dead’ first thing in the morning, it’s okay, there are PERKS to being an EXERCISE NIGHT OWL!
You don’t have to FIGHT the CROWD.
When it comes to die-hard exercisers, there are more morning larks than night owls. And while the early bird may get the worm, the late ones get the extra towels, choice of treadmill, and extra elbow room on the weight floor. Have you ever been to the gym during the peak morning rush? Go at night and never again will you fend off the evil eye while filling up that extra large water bottle at the drinking fountain. Plus, now’s the perfect time to set up that circuit workout that requires 15 separate pieces of equipment you’ve been dying to try!
You can BREAK the RULES!
Want to use the cardio machines for more than 30 minutes or maybe try out some of the personal training equipment? Gym rules you’d never even think about breaking during daylight hours suddenly get a lot more relaxed when it’s just you and the night crew. While you still can’t skinny dip in the lap pool (sorry), often they’ll let some of the smaller stuff slide.
You can be more SOCIAL.
Morning exercisers aren’t a chatty bunch, understandably. They’re rushing to fit in a sweat sesh before class or an early meeting. There’s no time to compare notes on favorite instructors or strike up a conversation about where someone scored their cool kicks. But evening exercisers often make the gym their sole evening plan, so they’ve got the time to be social. Among this cheery crowd, it’s easier to find workout buddies, weight-room spotters, or even just a shared smile and a laugh over a grueling class.
You can get out frustrations from a TOUGH DAY!
Everyone has those moments dealing with a dictatorial boss, a frustrating friend, or gridlocked traffic where you just want to punch something. Working out at night can help you deal with all that rage in a positive way, so you don’t take all that anger to bed with you. Pick up some BOXING GLOVES + go at it if you’re dealing with some particularly stressful *hit!
You can SLEEP BETTER 🙂
It all has to do with the individual biology – some studies have found that exercising close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep, but one study found that people who lifted weights in the evening had a higher quality and duration of sleep than people who did the same workout in the morning. So if this is the clock your body naturally works on then this may mean the BEST + most RESTFUL SLEEP you’ve ever had! We can’t guarantee you’ll wake up looking + feeling like Sleeping Beauty, but it may make for the BEST MORNING POSSIBLE!