Monday, December 17, 2012

workout timing

saw this interesting summary of a journal in the NYT. they looked at circadian rhythms, and how they are affected by exercise, as well as how they are affected by the timing of that exercise. the preliminary results (in mice, of course) seem to point to afternoon exercise as having the most benefit on sleep rhythms.

from well.blogs.nytimes.com


i'm all over the place when it comes to workout timing preferences.

  • i like my runs in the AM
  • i like my rides in early-mid afternoon, even if it's 110F on a sweltering TX highway
  • i like my swims either at the ass-crack of dawn OR in the evening, after 7.
i always sleep slightly better during the training season. regular, intense exercise just does that for me. it's not something i notice until it's gone. there are a few exceptions, of course. if i have an intense late evening swim  i will zonk out almost immediately upon return home, and any long ride >5hrs or long run >2hrs will make me soooo sreeeepy. 

what works best for y'all? do you ever notice better sleep when you work out at different times of the day? 

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3 comments:

  1. KeriDecember 18, 2012 at 9:37 AM

    My husband always asks me how I fall asleep two seconds after I lay down in bed. Um, it is because all of the exercising I put myself through during the day!

    I prefer to swim at 5:00 pm, immediately following work. I prefer to ride my bike late in the afternoon, like you I will take the heat over super early. I am weird about running. I can run early in the morning during the week or early on the weekend if I am meeting a friend. I struggle during the summer because I feel like I have to run at 5:00 in the morning to beat the heat. During the summer, I often run my long run on the treadmill since I cannot drag myself out of bed early enough. I like to think it is mental training. :)

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  2. Matthew SmithDecember 18, 2012 at 9:56 AM

    I like to train at the same times as you! I USED to sleep better while training, but now, after having a baby a week ago, I don't get much sleep at all! :)

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  3. EmilyDecember 18, 2012 at 5:44 PM

    Keri- haha, yes! my husband gets jealous of my sleeping abilities too :). but i don't know if i could do a long run on the dreadmill... maybe if i had a movie-sized TV screen in front of me...

    Matthew- it will get better, eventually! it felt like forever when our little dudebaby was little, but around 3-4mo he started sleeping for much longer stretches. that, and getting some earplugs and taking turns waking up with the kiddo helps too. best of luck to you!

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