When is the best time to run?

Running is the most common aerobic exercise that we can do anytime and anywhere. We can see people running on the streets, on the tracks, and even in the gym. As we age, our physical and mental endurance declines. At this time, running is more beneficial for exercising our bodies and enhancing our physical fitness, but when is the best time to run?

Few runners of any age make an effort to strengthen muscles other than their legs. However, regularly arranging a series of simple upper body strength exercises in daily training will effectively improve the trainee's running ability.

When is the best time to run, morning or evening? Waking up early to run is something people often do. For everyone, waking up an hour early to run has many benefits. Not only can you exercise your body, but you can also breathe the fresh morning air, which makes people feel refreshed, cheerful, and even makes you feel energetic all day. However, many friends have doubts. If you want to exercise effectively, should you run in the morning or in the evening? Today, the experts of this site will introduce to you: When is the best time to run, morning or evening?

When is the best time to run? Fitness running exercises are generally best arranged in the morning, followed by around 9 am and around 5 pm. Middle-aged people usually schedule exercise in the morning due to work. Firstly, it does not conflict with work; secondly, the air is fresh when running in the morning, which is good for the respiratory system. In addition, people's physical strength is restored after sleep, but physiologically speaking, people are still in a certain state of inhibition. Exercising in the morning helps to excite the nerves, boost the spirit, promote metabolism, and is very beneficial for maintaining sufficient mental and physical strength for a day's work.

Some people also believe that the oxygen content in the morning is lower (plant respiration), the air is fresh but contains fewer inhalable particles, and people’s mental state is best in the evening, so exercise should be done around five to six in the evening.

It is not advisable to run before or after meals. Running after a meal or eating immediately after running will cause a decrease in gastric acid secretion, affecting the digestion of food, which will cause stomach problems over time. It is generally better to exercise one hour after a meal. Running before going to bed is not a good exercise. Exercising before going to bed will put the cerebral cortex in a highly excited state, resulting in adverse reactions such as dreaming or difficulty falling asleep.

However, it is not advisable to do high-intensity exercise on an empty stomach in the morning. If the distance of a long run is relatively long, you can first drink a small cup of sugar water or eat a little snack.

Is it better to run and exercise in the morning or in the evening? As long as it suits you, it doesn't matter if you exercise in the morning or in the evening. "In theory, at dusk, the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere is the highest, people's senses are the most sensitive, their coordination ability is the strongest, their physical strength and adaptability are the strongest, and their blood pressure and heart rate are low and stable. It is indeed a good time to exercise." Experts say, however, this does not mean that other times of the day are not suitable for exercise.

There are obvious individual differences between different people. Their cardiopulmonary functions and physical conditions are different, so their exercise time, frequency and methods should not be the same. It should be said that the best time to exercise is not absolute, and there are definitely certain differences between individuals. If conditions permit, experts recommend that you consult a doctor based on your health checkup form and your own daily routine and eating habits.

In addition, for office workers in cities, some are working overtime at dusk, while others are rushing home. It is very unrealistic to ask them to squeeze out an hour for exercise every day when they are busy.

In fact, for most people with normal physical conditions, physical exercise can be done at any time as long as it is avoided half an hour before meals, one hour after meals, and one hour before going to bed. If you have already developed the habit of morning exercises, you will definitely benefit a lot if you persist. There is no need to change to evening exercises.

There is a very simple way to measure whether the exercise time is enough and whether the exercise method is suitable for you: if after exercising for a period of time, you feel energetic, have a good appetite, and have good sleep quality, and you get up early to measure your pulse, and the number of beats per minute is similar to or slower than before, then congratulations, this shows that your current amount of exercise and exercise method are very suitable; on the contrary, if after exercising for a period of time, you often feel sleepy and have poor sleep, and you get up early to measure your pulse, and the number of beats per minute is more than 6 times more than before, this means that you are exercising too much and you should make adjustments under the guidance of a doctor.

We should have a standard in our minds regarding the time, length and speed of running. We should not stick to it and learn to be flexible, slowing down or speeding up when appropriate, considering our own physical factors, controlling the length of time we run, and making the most of running.