Does it matter when you run? It does, and here’s why!
What is the difference between a morning, afternoon and evening workout (run)? The fact is that each of us has our own way of organising our time for physical activity, in line with the obligations that inevitably dictate our daily lives, but there are also athletes and recreational runners who do their training at a precise time of day. Below we bring you the advantages of running at a particular time of day.
RUNNING IN THE MORNING
Some runners like to do their training in the morning. When you ask them why, they say that physical activity gives them the energy they need for the rest of the day ahead. For those who may lack motivation, morning running can help build healthy habits. For runners trying to lose weight, running in the morning will stimulate the body to use its fat reserves, will have a positive effect on concentration, on lowering blood pressure and on sleep, and another advantage is that in the morning there is a higher concentration of oxygen in the air. Advice for all those who have not run in the morning until now is to get a good night’s sleep and work on their fitness and warm-up, so as not to feel discomfort in the form of stiff muscles while running.
RUNNING DURING THE DAY
Depending on the amount and difficulty of the obligations we have had during the day, everyone experiences a drop in energy. Running during the day (early or late afternoon) can help you regain energy and productivity. The advice is that if you plan to run a few laps after a tasty lunch or snack, you should wait a little, to avoid gastrointestinal discomfort. That certainly depends on the amount of food you have eaten, but also on its quality, in terms of the amount of nutrients, vitamins… After a light snack the advice is to wait at least half an hour, and if you have had a hearty lunch, let it be an hour and a half to 2 hours. Of course, it would be best to do your training before eating.
RUNNING IN THE EVENING
As we said at the beginning of the article, the time for running is individual, precisely because of the obligations awaiting us during the first part of the day. For those who can only afford to train in the evening hours, or who simply like to run their planned route at dusk, the good news is that evening running has its advantages too. That way you can relax and release the stress accumulated during the day, and running at the end of the day will have a beneficial effect on sleep, provided you finish training at least two hours before bedtime. There is also less chance of injury, bearing in mind that the muscles are warmed up from numerous daily activities.
WHEN SHOULD WOMEN RUN, AND WHEN SHOULD MEN?
Some research has shown that the “perfect” time of day for running may differ between women and men. Women who want to shed extra kilos or regulate their blood pressure through running should exercise in the morning hours, while those who want to strengthen their muscles and body or improve their mood should do so in the evening. As for men, the time of day is not decisive for their exercise, but for them too the evening is an excellent time of day to run, especially if they want to improve their health and boost their metabolism.
Whether you run professionally or recreationally, it is healthy, and the benefits are many; we have written about them countless times. We invite you to join us on 31 August at the 8th Subotica Half Marathon. Whatever your reason for coming and running, believe us, you will enjoy it, and that is the most important thing. We are waiting for you!