When to exercise? Morning or evening? Before food or after...

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Answer by Wordsmith
Submitted on 1/18/2004
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When to exercise really depends on your disposition and your schedule. Ideally, morning IS the best time to exercise, but this assumes that you work a day job and don't have to be there at, say, 5:00 a.m. But the best time to exercise is really whatever is the best time for YOU. Pick a time that you know you will not be distracted or lured away from your regimen. Should you exercise before or after eating? Well, the answer would seem to be quite compatible with your type 2 diabetes. Your best bet is to eat something - not a lot - before you exercise. The rationale here is that, if you don't eat, you stand the risk of your exercise, especially if it is vigorous exercise, drawing on muscle tissue and not fat for its energy for your workout. Also, if your goal is to lose weight, do not make the mistake of drastically cutting back your food intake. Ideally, you want to keep your insulin as level as possible. Your doctor has probably already told you to eat regularly but what, exactly, does that mean? It means that you want to eat several meals each day, not just two or three. Your body can only utilize a small portion of food energy (calories/fat) in any given period of time. The rest will either be flushed out of your system or, the more likely, deposited ON your system. So your objective is to eat only so much as your body can effectively use. AND, when you have protracted periods between meals, then your natural insulin will yo-yo up and down - a recipe for disaster where a diabetic is concerned. The solution is to: 1. Control your fat and calorie content; 2. Eat five or six smaller meals spread out over any twenty-four hour period; 3. Exercise to help your body function at its best. One last caveat: Don't buy into any of the highly touted diets on the market now that tell you to eat this, don't eat that or you can have all you want of this, but none of that. Look at the teeth in your mouth. They were designed to eat all types of foods from vegetables you cut with your incisors (those knife-edged teeth in the front) to meats you rip apart with your canines (you know those sharp, pointy fangs just behind the incisors), and then there are the molars made to grind up the grains you eat. So we harken back to that old saw about a balanced diet. But balance here needs to include a balance between what and how much you eat and how and how much you exercise. Best of luck in your efforts.

Answer by toya
Submitted on 10/19/2004
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I THINK WE ALL WANT TO KNOW WHAT WORKS FOR US, BUT WHAT PEOPLE FAIL TO REALIZE IS THAT EVERYONE'S BODY IS DIFFERENT,AND SO WHAT REALLY MIGHT WORKS BEST FOR ME MIGHT NOT WORK OUT BEST FOR THAT PERSON SO REALLY IT COMES DOWN TO THE PERSON'S BODY MASS AND THEIR WEIGHT, WHICH WILL ALLOW HOW MANY CALORIES THAT PERSON NEEDS TO CONSUME, AND SO I TELL THOSE WHO WANT TO KNOW HOW TO LIVE A HEALTHY LIFE IS GO TO YOUR DOCTOR AND IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A DOCTOR, THEN GET IN A GYM, BECAUSE FOR ME SINCE I HAVE DONE AEROBICS I HAVE LOST 20LBS, AND I STILL EAT WHAT I WANT, IT TOOK ME 2 MONTHS BUT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND I REFUSE TO STARVE MYSELF AND ANYBODY WHO TELLS YOU YOU CAN LOSE 10LBS IN A WEEK IS TELLING YOU REALLY THAT YOU HAVE TO CUT CERTAIN FOODS OUT WHICH YOUR BODY NEEDS TO LOSE THE BIG 10, SO AGAIN ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE READING THIS GET INVOLVE IN SOME TYPE OF CARDIO ACTIVITY, QUIT WORRYING ABOUT STARVING YOURSELF, BECAUSE THE BEST WEIGHT LOSING METHOD IS TO STAY FIT.

Answer by Paul
Submitted on 10/31/2005
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i train of a night and im doing fine, i find it easier and much more beneficial. My nightly routine is: go in my room around 7-8 do an hour or two's worth of situps hindu press-up and weights etc etc. then just go for a run of a night, i find it alot easier of a night for some reason. also a tip for sweating more n helps me is to wear a bin bag under a jumper (like a vest) and it keeps the body heat, making you sweat more n work a bit harder. i was going into a small case of depression the i split with a girlfriend n started doin excercises n not only has my fitness improved n got aa fighters body but im also really happy now. Just need to join the forces n i'llbe sussed! hope you all have as much fun as i do!

Answer by kat
Submitted on 8/20/2006
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I've read that if you are trying to lose weight, you need to workout in the morning (before you consume anything) so that your stored fat is targeted during workouts and not just the excess food you've eaten during the day. Personally, that is what I've experienced also! :) I feel you lose weight faster (or in shorter time) if you workout in the morning. Meanwhile, increasing appetite after a workout only means heightened metabolism.. which is always a good thing! Moreover, feed your stomach only when it asks for it.. when you feel hungry. And make sure you eat everything your body needs and don't cut out certain aspects like carbs (except sweets n fried foods) as they too can convert into energy when you workout!

Answer by Me
Submitted on 2/27/2007
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I am diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I have created a log of what I ate and when,for past four weeks. Although I wish to complete the log for 6 months before being conclusive, it is already showing a pattern. My sugar level drops down to 8 whenever I finished dinner by 7:30 PM, followed by a gradual walk of quarter mile. Compared it with finished dinner at 930 PM and same activity, Sugar level shows up as 9+. I am 40 years old and is about 15 KG over weight. I guess best time for exercise is both in the morning to kick start the day and evening , to work out excess. So ideal pattern would be to have 10% to eat what you wanna eat and then wait 20 minutes. Then walk or exercise. If hungry after wards eat only 30% of what you eat. Keep your day awash-ed with loads of Luke warm water. Goodluck....

Answer by angelm1504
Submitted on 4/1/2007
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When is the best time of day to do cardio, and why? Well, I bet most people do cardio "whenever they get a chance." Sometimes during the middle of the day, sometimes before bed, sometimes directly after your weightlifting workout, sometimes directly before the weightlifting workout and sometimes first thing in the morning. The truth is, all of those times will get results. It doesn't matter what time of day you do your cardio workout, you will be burning calories every time. BUT, the real question is, which of those times is the most effective? And the answer is first thing in the morning! Doing cardio first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, before you eat anything, is by far, the most effective. Whether you run, jog, walk, swim, jump rope, take an aerobics class, ride a bike, etc., doing it first thing in the morning is the best time to do it for maximum fat loss. Why? Its simple. When you do your cardio workout, you are burning calories. Lets say you wake up, eat breakfast, eat lunch later in the day, and then a few hours after lunch, you do your cardio. All you will be doing during that cardio is burning the calories and carbs of the food you just ate. When you do cardio first thing in the morning, you haven't eaten anything for the last 8 or so hours because you were sleeping . So, when your body sees that there are no carbs to burn, it goes directly to stored bodyfat. And stored bodyfat is the fat that is on your body, which is the fat that you want to lose! Understand how it works? When you do your cardio sometime during the day other then first thing in the morning, you spend most of that time burning off carbs that you already ate that day. When you do it first thing in the morning, there are no carbs to burn, so all your body can burn is body fat!

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Question by nathanv
Submitted on 7/28/2003
Related FAQ: diabetes FAQ: general (part 1 of 5)
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When to exercise? Morning or evening? Before food or after food? When to eat after or before exercise? I heard that you have to exercise minimum 45 mts to burn stored fat to loose weight? Does it mean exercising before food is recommended? Also read that eating food within 15 mts after exercise, puts calories into your muscles rather storing as FAT. Complicated for a type 2 diabetic! Need some education. Thanks

Answer by junmar gentuya
Submitted on 8/20/2003
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in the evening

Answer by chris
Submitted on 9/23/2003
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morning is best time to excercise. It gives you energy for the day.If you excercise at night you may have too much energy to sleep.

Answer by Greg
Submitted on 6/1/2004
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I would advise walking in the evening or morning. Living in Florida, the heat during the day becomes unbearable. Essentially, most people will quit their workout if heat gets the better of them. I lost 27 pounds, by three easy methods: 1.) Little to no sweets 2.) Limited fried, take-out, and saturated foods 3.) Walking 45 minutes 3-5 times a week.

Answer by L2thaHiZzLe
Submitted on 6/22/2004
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I believe that it is quite more efficient to exercise in the evening. I am currently enrolled in medical school at Standford and my class has been taught that exercising in the evening is better because you burn off the fat and calories that you have gain during the day. If you exercise in the morning, especially if you have not eaten, you increase your appetite making you even hungrier, and most often causing one to consume more. For more information on exercising, click here www.hometown.aol.com/l2thahizzle

Answer by bum
Submitted on 10/8/2004
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get a life

Answer by Cam
Submitted on 12/28/2004
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I would recommend a nice aerobic activity in the morning to awaken the day and increase fresh blood around the body from sleeping the night before. I like to work out in the evening about 2 hours after eating a small meal. This can be anything from walking to yoga, kickboxing to aerobics. Anything as longs as calories are burned.

Answer by me
Submitted on 1/7/2005
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i am 16 and am overweight, i can do the excersise and i eat well but i cant shake the pounds, i need help

Answer by Love2Run
Submitted on 1/10/2005
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L2thaHizZle, I clicked on your website listed, and it said you were 15. WOW, and at Stanford? Was this a mistake?

Answer by Galina
Submitted on 2/3/2005
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I think the best time to do is both, Because you do in the morning you just waking up and you feel better. And also if you do it night it helps you and it much better.

Answer by Jonel Lonzanida
Submitted on 3/19/2005
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The best time for you to exercise is in the morning and before breakfast. But, that is for people who want to burn more fats. And, working out after breakfast is usually for people who wants to increase their power during workout. But remember that working out more than 30 minutes will get the benefit of fat burning with 20 seconds rest in between exercise. You're right, packing on food not exceeding 20 minutes after exercise is the best for u to refuel your energy used. But for a person with type II diabetes must exercise not more than 30 minutes to gain benefit for his/her health.

Answer by Reader
Submitted on 5/26/2005
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I believe I read many times on the internet that it is best to exercise for about 20-30 minutes in the morning, right after you get up and before you have had breakfast, this was said to burn off calories and not muscles. But the exercise must be somewhat moderate or it won't have much effect.

Answer by Sridhar
Submitted on 8/17/2005
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Though at first instance I would be tempted to say morning, the best time of the day for exercise exclusively depends on one's commitments and long term habits. I am an early bird so I prefer going to gym for an hours workout in the morning. I personally feel that exercising in the morning keeps our day fresh and energetic. What is the point of exercising when you are burning what you had during the day. I go for my workout after having a glass of orange juice or hot milk. Cheers

Answer by kirsten
Submitted on 10/21/2005
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id walk in the morning and cycle in the evening! kirsty thnx i lost 4 pounds doin this in a week!

Answer by Tweedy bird
Submitted on 1/24/2006
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I think that is is better to exercise when ever you feel that you want to. Some people enjoy it in the morning and I have no problem with that. For me, I like exercising when I am getting read you run which is around 10 o clock. That is the better time in my opinion

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Answer by Hery
Submitted on 1/27/2006
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It's best to workout in the morning because your metabolism increases causing your engine to burn fat. If you do weights, drink a protein shake before and after weights. If you are going to simply lose bodyfat...do 30-45min of cardio on an empty stomach. The body functions to get energy(Carbs) first. If no carbs(energy) it goes directly to bodyfat. Do this for 12wks and watch your bodyfat drop.

Answer by DOCTOR JOE
Submitted on 2/8/2006
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Running in the morning and sex at night is the best way to lose weight. Also, don't eat after 5PM. Best of luck!

Answer by Nicole Balzer
Submitted on 3/23/2006
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I am a nurse who works 8am to 4pm. I have tried many times to exercise in the evening and I find that it keeps me awake. I am unable to sleep well most nights that I do exercise. I started with aqua fitness a few weeks ago and every night I attend is a night I do not rest well. Does anyone else have this problem - any solutions besides exercising in the morning?

Answer by drbob
Submitted on 6/5/2006
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L2thaHiZzLe you are incorrect, take a look here or <h href"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9778093&query_hl=4&itool=pubmed_docsum">here</a> or <href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9234032&query_hl=4&itool=pubmed_docsum">here</a>, numerous recent studies have shown that exercise does not increase appetite and can even reduce appetite in the day following exercise. As long a you eat regular balanced meals, Exercising in the morning is in fact a good way to prevent hunger pangs later in the day.

Answer by osage
Submitted on 6/9/2006
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Lately I have been exercising in the morning.I seem to have a lot more energy through the day,not needing any naps.

Answer by xnightmare23x
Submitted on 7/27/2006
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I am trying to lose weight right now and I am hoping to excersize more.

Answer by Rando
Submitted on 10/7/2006
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Actually, if you work out in the morning, you may be hungrier throughout the day, but that is because you're constantly burning calories from the workout. Therefore, you are consuming fuel for the body to burn more calories. It may be efficiant to work out at night because it will keep your metabolism going throughout the night rather than during the day. This causes to burn fat while you sleep. Either way it goes, they both are superb.

Answer by fgjhfg
Submitted on 11/29/2006
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blah blah bla fat ppl

Answer by sheshe
Submitted on 3/13/2007
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i think morning exercise is bet because it jump starts your metabolism for the rest of the day' causing you to burn calories faster.

Answer by MSS
Submitted on 3/26/2007
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best exercise is to have sex.. mornig .. evening.. or afternoon or night.. find yourself a patner and have fun

Answer by dgregory
Submitted on 6/20/2007
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When to exercise depends on the individual person and there schedule. Im a Exercise Physiologist and Certified Personal Trainer. I personally find exercising in the morning is more benificial because it leave you more energentic, you feel full of life, have a sense of I'm ready to take on the chanllenges and stressors that the day brings and if you have already done it in the morning, you are thur and dont have to dread trying to do it when getting off of work.

Answer by Nikki
Submitted on 7/1/2007
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I would rather exercise in the evening because i feel i get a better workout, burning all the calories put into my body that day. Also For me exercising in the evening gives me a better sleep.

Answer by wolf
Submitted on 7/13/2007
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who needs excersise, just diet