Running in Morning vs Evening

The best time of day to run is a long and never ending debate among runners and exercise enthusiasts. This question pops up in the minds of many runners when they take up running for the first time. But, if you have already decided to run, be it in morning, evening or anytime of the day, you can pat on your back! Either you run before starting your day or later in the day, running has dozen of positive effects on your body, mind and overall health. However, it is worth noting the pros and cons of running in morning vs evening before making a decision, especially when you don’t want to run on a treadmill and want to hit the road or a park.

Running in Morning

Pros:

It gives you a kick start to the day
It jump starts your metabolism early in the day thereby helping in burning more fat
Morning is the time when there is less traffic, comparatively cooler weather (then evening), thereby providing more conducive environment for running
No sms, chat, WhatsApps or calls to bother you, as most of your friends are likely to be asleep
Works best in preparing one for marathons as most of these long runs happens in the morning

Cons:

Not everyone is a morning person. One could be inconsistent in getting up early over a long a period of time
To get up early next day, one will have to sleep early every night, which may not be easy given the new urban lifestyle
All bodily functions are low in the wee hours – body temp is also low in the morning so muscle might feel more stiff

Running in Evening

Pros:

Can act as a great stress busters of the day, as you don’t have to worry about daily proceedings and can just looking at relaxing post run
Good body temperature to support your run
Higher energy levels as compared to morning as you are not running empty stomach

Cons:

One may have to cut down on social engagements to enable time for evening runs
Possible distraction from mobile phones
Chances of traffic and poor light to disrupt your runs, if you are running outdoors

There may be some data or research or circadian rhythms logic to indicate morning vs evening work out, and might indicate that one time is better than the other but the key is in continue Running, when one is most motivated and high at energy levels.

(Photo courteous: http://www.freeimages.com/)