3 Best Times to Exercise and Benefits You Can Get

When are the best times for exercise? Exercise is one of the efforts to keep the body healthy and fit. Besides, exercising regularly also provides many other benefits for both your physical and mental health.

However, there are some things you need to pay attention to when planning for exercise. One of them is acknowledging the best time for this activity.

Yes, although exercising is a good thing no matter what, it doesn't mean you can do it all the time. Why? In nature, the body has its own schedule for carrying out its duties. This body schedule is also called the circadian rhythm. Therefore, if you want your exercise to provide maximum benefits, make sure to do it at the right time.

The Best Time to Exercise

When are the best times for exercise? Here are some recommendations.

1. Morning

The best time for exercising is in the morning, from around 6 or 7 to 8. At this time, your body and brain tend to feel fresher and more encouraged to do this activity after resting all night long. Thus, the circadian rhythm of muscles also makes your movements much more effective than at other times. This even reduces the possibility of muscle injury.

Furthermore, light exercise in the morning also makes you feel more relaxed to start any other activities. The morning exercise does not need to be done every day anyway. About 3-4 times a week is enough to make the body healthier.

In addition, exercise should be done when you can sleep well at night. If you have trouble sleeping, it is better to postpone it in the morning or just do light exercise. Too heavy without enough sleep at night can trigger heart problems.

2. Afternoon

Well, what if you are so busy in the morning that you don't have time to exercise? Don't worry, you can still do it in the afternoon when the sun has started to go down. The air outside is no longer too hot at this time. Besides, your body's circadian rhythm also really supports this activity.

In the afternoon, human body temperature tends to be at its highest level. It makes the muscle strength and function work optimally. This condition causes the body to feel more energetic while preventing risks like muscle injury. Some exercises and sports requiring intensive energy such as football, badminton, HIIT (High-intensity Interval Training), and more are recommended to be done in the afternoon.

3. Evening

The third best time to exercise is in the evening. However, compared to the two times mentioned previously, evening exercise also has some risks. So, make sure to pay attention to some important things before deciding to do it.

First, the most ideal times should be around 2 to 3 hours before going to bed. At this time, the body's temperature is at its maximum so that it is good enough for muscle movement.

Second, don't have dinner too close to your exercise schedule. You can delay your dinner schedule and replace it with an energy-source snack if you feel hungry.

Third, avoid choosing a type of exercise that is too heavy because, in the evening, your body condition is no longer optimal. Commonly, someone feels tired from the activities they do all day long. In other words, make sure to do the evening exercise well to obtain many benefits optimally, including increasing the activity of enzymes in the body.

The Best Duration for Exercise

Aside from knowing the best times for exercise, you also need to consider the duration. When the duration is too short, it may stop you from getting optimal benefits. On the other hand, if the duration is too long it may trigger various health problems such as muscle injury, muscle pain, fatigue, dehydration, and even heart problems.

Based on the recommendation from WHO, the ideal duration of exercise is around 150 to 300 minutes per week at moderate intensity. Thus, you can divide it up to around 30 minutes to 1 hour per day.

Meanwhile, for types of exercise with a high level of intensity, the ideal duration is 75 to 150 minutes per week. If you divide it, you can do it for 15 to 30 minutes per day. Of course, you can also combine the 2 types of exercise based on their intensity for maximum results.

Benefits of Exercise at the Right Times and Duration

It is common knowledge that exercise which is done correctly and regularly will provide various health benefits. Interestingly, not only our bodies are healthy but also our brains and mentality. So, what are the benefits of exercise that you need to know? The following is the explanation.

1. Increasing the Body's Immune System

Exercises are activities that force our bodies to move continuously by involving certain muscles. The first benefit resulting from this movement is the body's active metabolic processes including blood circulation. This makes the body less easily infected by viruses or bacteria from outside. In other words, your immune system or body's resistance automatically increases.

2. Preventing Cardiovascular Diseases

Not only diseases caused by viruses and bacteria can be prevented with regular exercise, but also cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular diseases are diseases that attack the heart and blood vessels.

Commonly, these diseases are caused by an unhealthy lifestyle such as bad eating habits and being rare in moving your body. Some examples are coronary heart disease, cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes.

Exercise itself can burn the accumulation of sugar and fat in the blood vessels coming from unhealthy food. If these two substances are properly processed into energy, cardiovascular diseases can be avoided.

3. Losing Weight

The best way to lose weight is by doing a proper diet and exercising regularly. The results may not be seen instantly but will definitely be visible sooner or later. So, if you are on a weight loss program and still want to live a healthy life, make sure you make time to exercise.

4. Improving Focus and Concentration

Exercise is very good for brain health. How can it be? A smooth metabolism works by stimulating the blood circulation to the brain more optimally. Many benefits can be obtained from here including the increase of concentration. Well, this is how regular exercise can increase your productivity at school or work.

5. Reducing Stress

Still related to the previous point, smooth blood circulation to the brain can also reduce stress levels. This is because your brain can think more clearly and relax. Furthermore, exercises and sports carried out in open spaces also refresh your mind after being tired from a busy day's work.