Cardio fitness training: morning or night?

Is it better to do cardio in the morning or evening? When is the perfect time to work out and get the best results?

Racking up the mileage at dawn, pedalling your way to fit in the afternoon or sweating night after night at the end of a hard day at work... Which is the best option? Morning, noon or night? What are the impacts on your performance, results and fitness level? We'll tell you everything you need to know!

What is cardio work?

Cardio is what makes you work up a sweat, slim down and “get cut.” It increases your calorie burn and forces your body to draw from its fat stores. As the amount of fat decreases, you'll become slimmer and more shapely! It sounds so straightforward, but what do you have to do exactly?

There are several possible activities you can do, it just depends on you and your interests. Regardless, the aim is simple: to work your cardiovascular system to strengthen your heart and endurance. In a nutshell, you need to improve your physical fitness and shape your body!

Opt for:

- Biking to strengthen your lower body and glutes.

- Treadmill running for fitness walking or jogging.

- The cross trainer which offers a whole-body workout (as long as you use your arms!).

Group classes will give you options set to music to improve your cardiovascular endurance and muscle tone. The energy of the group will also help keep you motivated! Working out in a group and to music can help you push yourself harder as you tone up your entire body while having fun!

How to plan your workouts

All set with your choice of cardio? Get out your diary and block out some time! We've got a few tips to help you get organised, stay on track without overtraining and get results.

How many times should you ideally work out every week?

Two to three times a week is a good average! It's a manageable number to fit into busy work and home lives. It'll also give you a chance to recover between workouts and to perform your best so you can burn more calories and see better results.

If you have the time (and the motivation), five times a week is also possible. Just be sure to not overtrain. Is your performance lagging, are you feeling pain or have you gotten injured? Back off a bit! You're likely overdoing it!

Morning or evening?

There's been no scientific study that's proven that one is better than the other.

It all depends on you: do you feel good in the morning or have the time to fit in a workout? Or are you more of a night owl?

Listen to yourself! Instinctively, you already know what's best for you. Finding the right time of day for cardio is about striking the right balance between fitness and fun.

If you're not really a morning person, does dragging yourself to the gym before work seem feasible?

Insomnia… A few words

When your body is ready to go to sleep, your body experiences a drop in temperature. But when you do a sports activity, your temperature increases.

Sleep and sport seem incompatible.

The trick is to give yourself at least two to three hours between the end of your workout and your bed time. By following this simple rule, you shouldn't have any trouble nodding off.

And that's it! You know everything you need to fit in your cardio fitness workout at the time of day that's right for you and get the best results possible!

We want to hear about your experiences. Feel free to drop us a line or two.

Julie

Decathlon communication team

A passionate cardio fitness, pilates and nutrition coach. Mum to two little boys who can only be described as... super active!