oooh SNAP. A NIGHT-exerciser responds:

by

Hi my name is Katie and I can’t work out before 5:30 at night.  

<<All Respond…Hi Katie>>

That’s right I said it.  I can’t get up early and workout like some many other amazing fitness junkies.  I tried a few times and it was a complete bust for me.  My lungs don’t seem to want to wake up until at least 6:30 a.m..  So that means that I’m forced to SQUEEZE it in sometime after work, but before dinner.

Luckily, my husband is also an evening exerciser so we usually plan to go together and my son E gets to go to the nursery where he plays and makes a mess which someone else gets to clean up so it’s a win-win.  Between the time I leave work and get to the gym, my mind goes through a series of checkpoints (otherwise known as excuses that are quickly overruled).  I thought I’d share those with you to help you get over the hump and get to the gym.

 Excuses for not exercising in the evening debunked:

1.       Many people will say that “if I don’t go straight from work, I won’t go at all”  That’s NEVER been the case for me.  Fitness is a priority and always will be.  Because of that, I go home, I change, I get my husband and child ready and we all turn right back around and head to the gym.  No excuses.  So that’s my first recommendation for you: MAKE FITNESS AND YOUR HEALTH A PRIORITY

 

2.       I’ve also heard…”well, by the end of the day I’m exhausted.  I don’t have any energy”.  Another excuse that can easily be overcome.  First off, GO TO BED!!  Get your sleep.  Sleep is essential to making sure that your day goes smoothly.  Secondly, watch what you put in your body throughout the day…If you’re feeding your body lots of artificial sugars then you’re not even giving yourself a fighting chance.  Try adding an apple to the mix if you’re looking for something sweet.  Refrigerate it if you want something cold.  Add some peanut butter for added protein.  My second recommendation: EAT TO SUCCEED

 

3.       The third excuse I hear and again, you can work through it is…”I’ve had a terrible day, all I want to do is go home and veg”.  UMMM, no!  Sorry.  When I’ve tried doing this, I’ve found that I just sit and stew about the bad day that was instead of moving on.  Work is work is work.  When you walk out the door, try to put it all behind you and move on to the next part of your day.  Part of what makes fitness great is that no one is going to bite your head off for pushing yourself. Beside the sweat you’ll produce cleanses yourself of the terrible day’s toxins that might have built up.  My third recommendation: SWEAT IT OUT!

 

4.       Finally, there are days when you just need some help, some motivation, some energy and some support.  My final recommendation: Use our amazing twitter network for motivation, drink a 5 hour energy (my quick energy source) and hug someone.  Then off you go!!

 

Now what were you planning to do tonight?  Head to the gym…it’s waiting for you.

 

Katie is the creator and blogger of MomsLittleRunningBuddy.com, fitness junkie, former fitness competitor, runner, triathlete and working mom in the healthcare industry.  She’s been blogging since 2009 and has a passion for sharing her experiences and tips for staying fit and healthy while trying to maintain a balance. 

She carries that love of fitness into her extracurricular activities which include sitting on the planning committee for Celebrate Fitness in St. Louis and motivating anyone who needs it. 

 Her motto is “Make it Worth it” and wants everyone to know that it is possible to make time for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  Even if it’s 10 minutes to cook, make sure that 10 minutes is focused and purposeful.

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Comments

  1. While I’m not a nighttime exerciser, all of these things ring true….as in make fitness and your health a priority, sweat it out, look to twitter for support. The bottom line is no matter when you workout, morning, mid day or evening, make it a priority and just GET IT DONE.

  4. Where there’s a will there’s a way! I like getting up early in the morning (provided that I went to bed early) and exercising then, but aim to add a walk in the evenings at some point.

    Great post, Katie!

  5. i am a night time exerciser just because it is the easiest time of day to solely focus on me — but all those reasons certainly ring true & are words to live by!

  6. I agree with all of this! I am an anytime exerciser, really. I love the mornings and I love the nights, which is nice for me because I can get it in no matter what life throws at me. If I’m feeling tired, I know that exercise will wake me up a bit and even if I am still tired, I can always veg afterwards.

    I love the first tip though!

  7. I agree! I’m a pastor and often have evening programs for kids. I go home after for a few things and then head to the gym around 6 or 7 pm. Sometimes as late as 9 pm. It’s my routine and it’s as normal to me as those who workout at 5am.

  9. My teaching schedule changes every few weeks, so my exercise schedule changes every few weeks. While I prefer to work out in the morning as I like to know “it’s done,” I agree that evening workouts can work out if you make them a priority and they are non-negotiable. And after a particularly frustrating day, a workout is a must. I agree! 🙂

  11. Statistics might say that morning exercisers stick with it best but if being part of that statistic doesn’t work for you than following tips like Katie’s makes sense.

  13. Go with your body’s rhythm. If you are a lark, go early; owls should go later. No one blueprint fits everyone.

    Like the suggestions, they work for all of us.

  14. Great post!! I am a morn person but I know plenty that are not. When they talk to me, I always say if you are going to quit because the morning is just not you then do it when it is right for you – the best time to work out is when it is your best time.

    AND, I use your same steps above for my morn workouts & have been for many years! I had a time when I had to do after work workouts – no 24 hour gyms way back then. I did after work workouts & I was working a lot of hours too! I did not like it but I did it cause being fit & healthy was important to me 🙂

    Thx for sharing!

  15. I’m so with you that I can only seem to workout in the evening. My time is usually at 7PM after the twins go to bed. I do like working out in the morning, but my workout doesn’t seem to be as productive when I haven’t eaten breakfast before the workout and I can’t stomach eating much when I first wake up. I guess as long as I’m working out, it doesn’t matter what time of day I’m fitting it in.

  16. I’m like you! I’ve always hated mornings and cannot workout early for the life of me. I go to the gym a few nights a week right after work and then go home and eat dinner. It works great for me and I get all my stress from the day out at the gym.

  17. I’m an ‘anytime’ exerciser in that I can get used to anything (except getting up at an ungodly hour) but I prefer evenings usually. I am one to have to go straight from work if I do, but it’s so true in that you have to make it a priority, whatever time you choose to do it. Nike has it right – just do it.

  19. I am a morning excerciser, but I still love this! You have to do what works for you. You have to overcome whatever excuses you come up with, because no matter what time of day it is, you have to make it a priority.

  20. I use to be a night-worker-outer, but then I switched to mornings because it now works better for me. I 100% agree with everything this poster said! Love it! No excuses…just make it happen!

  21. I like my sleep, so getting up early and getting to the gym isn’t something that interests me. But, my DH works late and we don’t usually eat before 8 (bad, I know), so working out at night for me works very well. I actually teach yoga on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5-6, so I started working with a trainer for an hour right after that. Then I’m on my own to get to the gym at least once between Friday after work and Sunday evening.

    I find that when I have a good workout at night, I sleep better.

  22. For me as well, just about everything later is better. Excuses are just that no matter what time of day they are given. Love, love, love this!

  24. I can do either. Sometimes both. 30 minutes of cardio in morning. 30 minutes of weights in the evening. Whatever works is the best.

  25. I love this. All of the typical excuses – she proved them all wrong. It’s about making your health a priority and working it *in to* your family’s life. Awesome!!!

  27. Hi Carla,
    i am new to your blog and i just got to say that i love it! i just recently started blogging about my weight loss journey kind like a diary for me to keep track and also shed light on others that are looking into being healthy. I am a night exerciser because i work evenings, sometimes though im so tired when i get done with work that i dont feel like working out. Is it better to workout in the morning or evening? Thank you for all your info, i cant wait to read more, god bless!

  29. I agree, time is immaterial.

    You may want to watch the 5hr energy shots before exercise, though. I used to chug a white Rockstar fairly frequently, sometimes even before a workout until my heart started flip-flopping around. After that, the Doc said “No Mas!” to my caffeine intake, and I limit it to a couple of green teas per day.

    Lest you think, just because I reside in Seattle, Land of the Latte, that I may have been overdoing it somewhat, I can guarantee you that wasn’t the case. I only drank a couple of grande Americanos and 1 white (the no sugar kind) Rockstar daily, and had for years. Apparently, this can catch up to you at some point.

  30. Like so many above I think it’s key to find what fits and works for the individual.
    I am mostly a afternoon/evening exerciser. For one summer I got into morning exercising to avoid the heat later in the day and to join with a friend and I loved the extra morning energy. However the last few years exercise seems to take a lot of energy out of me and so it’s best I exercise at night then I can just shower and go straight to bed. I know this isn’t a normal response (and so may not be healthy) but for now it’s how my body responds so I’ll have to work with it.

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