Exercising late at night

I've heard that working out really late at night isn't the best time of the day because your body temperature gets higher and it's hard to 'cool down' and sleep ok. There's a gym class here at 20h30-21h30. Cardio+ calisthenics; a real intensif workout. I did this class once and indeed,i had trouble falling asleep.  Do you think it's a matter of getting your body to get used to it? Another thing is what time to have dinner. I know that I can't go there with a full stomach, but then by the time i'm back home it would be 10 at night, which is pretty late for dinner. But i'd love to be able to exercice almost everyday and for somedays 20h30 is the only class i can go to. What do you think?

I have no medical expertise, but I've worked out numerous times at 9:30-10:30pm, doing 30-45 minutes of DDR, only to go to bed around 11:30-12:30.

I'm usually worn out after the workout, drink plenty of water, and I pass out not long after.  They are pretty intense sessions, where I'm drenched in sweat after the fact.  I've never had a problem falling asleep, as I am just exhausted.

We do have a ceiling fan in the bedroom, so maybe that kept me cool enough, but I normally never have problems sleeping anyway.

well generally people have troubles relaxing afterward and cant fall asleep.

but i seem to have no problem, i only have time to work out at night, and after a long day its nice to sleep :D

I think everybody's different -- I've always been a night owl and have a REALLY hard time excerising in the morning, much harder than late at night....I have exercised many, many times after 9 p.m. to even after midnight and can fall asleep pretty easily....there is definitely a wind-down period, but it's not hours for me. Usually within an hour or so, I'm fading or out. The warm shower after helps me relax.

I recently just shifted to a very early-morning job (like I have to get there at 6 a.m.), so I am confronting this issue in a new way, too ... I can't be at the gym until midnight...but I do plan to work out in the evening. I'm hoping to get there early evening so I can get to bed at a reasonable hour.

Again, I think you have to figure out what time works best for your schedule and when you feel good. I think as long as you have at least an hour wind-down time after you get home, you'll be able to fall asleep...I sometimes have fat-free hotchocolate to help me sleep (not scientific, just something that signals bedtime).

Good luck! Let us know how it goes...

I think it depends on the time of day you feel most energetic. For me that is about 3 -5 pm, so I am going to put the most effort into my workout then and get the most out of it.

If you feel you have a lot of energy at 9 pm, go for it. If you dread working out then, maybe you should consider scheduling it for another time of the day.

I can fall asleep easily after a good workout.  On the weekends I tend to do an ealry afternoon workout.  If I sit down on the couch and relax after my shower, then I have to fight to keep awake.  As soon as I sit down and get relaxed, I get very sleepy.  Good thing I love my weekend naps!

The best time for you to work out is the time that you will do it every time.

Whatever time is easiest for you to fit into your schedule, so long as you are working out, it is the best time.

That being said, the best time from a science standpoint is in the morning after you have slept a full 8 hours. Your body has already burned all of the carbs and previous meals so when you work out you are going straight for fat.

Make sure you have some protein (whey , recovery drink something like that) directly after working out like this or your body will begin to eat muscle which defeats the purpose. (muscle good! eats calories!!)

I think that if that is when you can get to the gym it is a great time. I hate getting up in the morning, anything I can do to avoid it I will, and if that means skipping a yoga class or not going for a run. I probably will. I have to exercise at night if I actually want to get it done. As for eating what I do is I eat dinner at around 7 (right after I leave work) and then I usually work out around 10. If I am hungry after working out I eat a light snack, like string cheese and an apple.

It just depends on your personality... If I'm revved up by something in the evening I find it hard to get to sleep... but exercise doesn't do the revving. In fact, it makes me tired and relaxed and ready to fall down and sleep early! I am NOT a morning person and never have been.

interesting discussion ... i'm fascinated by the idea that the best time to work out is in the morning because that's when your body has burned all its carbs overnight, so you're hitting your fat stores. NO WONDER I've never been able to stand working out in the morning. That makes total sense. I can work but the thought of vigorous exercise always sounds hopeless....maybe a very light breakfast before hitting the gym would solve that problem for folks like me, giving us just a bit of get-up-and-go.

Learn something new every day!!

I've heard the same thing too, that working out at night isn't always the greatest around 8pm and later. I usually go at night late, sometimes around 930-10pm and stay til 1130 or 12. Some people think that may be a little crazy but my membership is at a 24 hr gym so during the times of 4-7pm it's ALWAYS busy with people getting off from work and you always have to wait for a machine. I feel relaxed working out late and I also can sleep well at night. I sometimes work out in the mornings as well, since I heard it boosts your metabolism more during the day and so forth.

I think your body definitely has to get used to the amount of physical activity because it won't be used to working out at first. I recommend before hitting the gym, have a granola bar or something that will give you some energy. Even a fruit parfait works too. Something healthy and light will not weigh your body down while working out and will make you feeling more energized. If you were to eat something medium or large portioned, you will get more tired. Fitness trainers have also said it's definitely a good thing to eat after a work out but of course, try and make it healthy! It helps your muscles and your metabolism.

The workout-in-the-morning thing is a ridiculous fitness myth, that keeps on making the rounds because of a profound misunderstanding of one thing: your body doesn't work on clock time, it works on calendar time. It has a preferred ratio of carbs/fat/protein for fuel, and over a 24-hour period it adjusts the ratio of your fuel mix to bring the 24-hour substrate utilization in line with the preferred fuel mix. Burn more fat with an early-morning workout, and you'll burn less over the course of the rest of the day as your body adjusts your fuel mix to preserve fat and burn carbs.

 The only thing early-morning workouts have going for them is that if you're doing early-morning cardio and late-evening strength training you'll burn more total calories, and burning more total calories is good.

 But one of the worst mistakes you can make over the long term is doing strength training immediately upon waking - your spinal column will be fluid-filled and elongated, and not ready for heavy loading. You will be more prone to herniated or ruptured disks, and the long-term mechanical damage potential to your spinal column itself is also high.

 Exercise can be adrenalin-boosting; and if your post-exercise adrenalin levels remain high you may have trouble sleeping; but that's temporary for most people. Your endocrine system will adjust to support your activity level and sleep schedule over the course of a few week,s if you're consistent about it.

 As for pre/post-workout nutrition: From the FAQ up top What (and when) to eat before/after a workout?