Question
I have been hearing that we should exercise first thing in the morning for getting the best result. However, I'm just not a morning person and prefer to go for a run or hit the gym at night. Does it matter what part of the day we exercise?

Answer
There is some research that suggests that there are better times in the day to exercise. These studies are generally concerned about either the best time of day to help for weight loss, or about the energising effect after someone has exercised (morning to mid afternoons).

Here’s the big catch with these studies — what happens if you cannot train at the recommended times?

While the research gives recommendations on the "best times", any fitness expert will tell you that the best time to train is at a time that is most convenient for you, regardless of the time of day.

Why? Because exercising is about a lifestyle and creating a habit. We absolutely know that the easiest way to create a habit is to exercise when it works for you. If you are more of an evening person then this is the best time for you to train. You get better results that way, than trying to get up early and cramming in a session before your day starts. Your programme could end up working against you.

Another option is to split when you workout. One day a week try exercising at a different time to see if this works for you. For some people this way works especially if they have a more erratic work schedule.

I exercise during the week in the early afternoon, but on the weekends I exercise early morning and this schedule works well for me.

Don’t be afraid to try different times. Consistency is the key to your success — that’s far more important than the time of day when you train. Good luck and enjoy your training.

Anthony is the National Personal Training Manager at Les Mills. For more information about Les Mills, home of the world's best fitness classes, visit lesmills.co.nz or phone 0800 LES MILLS.