The Advantages of Working Out at Night

After a busy day at work or a long commute, most people reserve their evenings for downtime–sitting down with a good book, a couple of hours in front of the television or a good soak in the tub. But, there are some people who can be found hitting the gym or jogging around the park as the sun sets. We commonly associate workouts with early mornings, as you’ve probably heard many times that morning exercises are great for jump-starting your day and for soaking up some vitamin D. However, evening workouts can prove to be beneficial and have become more popular, particularly among people who may have irregular work schedules.

De-stress

Releasing your frustrations on the treadmill can be a great way to decompress after a long day. Take your mind off the worries and stresses of the day and instead, focus on you. Throwing yourself into mindful and productive physical activity can bring you back down to earth instead of simmering in all your negative thoughts as you might usually do when you get home.

No time pressure

With the day’s work done, you don’t have to keep checking the clock while working out. This leads to more focus allowing you to maximise your workouts.

Less crowds

If you choose to drop by your 24-hour gym at later hours, you may find you practically have the whole place to yourself. If you’re the type of person who can work out better alone (or are just shy around big crowds), the gym might be your new favourite late night spot. There’s no need to worry about elbow room when using weights. You can take your time in the locker room and at the drinking fountain. Best of all, you can do circuit training to your heart’s content with all that unused equipment lying around.

If you’re a runner, you can worry less about dodging vehicles and fellow runners. Although, always take extra precaution. Let a couple of people know you’re out running alone or coordinate a group run. As for clothing, wear light or day-glo colours that will show up in headlights or any reflective gear or even a headlamp. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. You may even want to leave your headphones at home so you can clearly hear any cars, animals or people coming up behind you.

Better sleep

Want a natural solution to better sleep? While working out in the mornings normally get your adrenaline going, some studies have proven people can have higher quality sleep for a longer duration of time after lifting weights in the evening.

Calmer mornings

With your morning routine free of workout, you can focus on other things. There’s no need to lug around your gym bag to work anymore. You don’t have to worry about beating other people to the gym for first dibs on amenities. You can finally take proper morning showers and prepare and sit down for a real breakfast.